Detection of the presence of both species Sinanodonta woodiana and Sinanodonta lauta in the recent sediment of Southern Iraq

Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) وSinanodonta lauta (Martens, 1877) في الرواسب الحديثة من جنوب العراق

Abstract

    The selection of the study area was influenced by the recent discovery of new pelecypod species documented for the first time in southern Iraq. Sixteen samples were collected from seven locations situated on both banks of the Euphrates River, northwest of Basrah Governorate. An analysis was conducted to identify the types of sediments at these sites, alongside the various shell species present in the region. The findings revealed that mud sediments predominated over other sediment types, which included silt and sandy mud. Within the study area, two pelecypod species were identified: Sinanodonta lauta and Sinanodonta woodiana, along with a barnacle species, Amphibalanus subalbidus. The presence of these species suggests that the area has been influenced by environmental changes that transpired towards the Late Holocene period, as all identified species interduced from outside the region's native ecosystem.