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Detection of freshwater mussels (Sinanodonta spp.) in artificial ponds through environmental DNA: a comparison with traditional hand collection methods

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A Correction to this article was published on 13 March 2020

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Abstract

Populations of most freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are declining worldwide; these includes Sinanodonta spp., which inhabit artificial ponds in Japan. The detection of environmental DNA (eDNA) would be a rapid and efficient method for monitoring the distribution of Sinanodonta populations. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to compare the results of real-time PCR-based eDNA detection to those of hand collection in 24 ponds in Japan. Sinanodonta eDNA was detected in most of the study ponds where Sinanodonta spp. were found by hand collection, and there was a positive correlation between the eDNA detection rate and the number of Sinanodonta specimens collected by hand. These findings demonstrate that eDNA detection is a valuable alternative method of evaluating the distribution of Sinanodonta spp., and that this method has a similar detection sensitivity to that of hand collection. The eDNA method can be used to monitor freshwater mussels at broad scales and prohibitive depths where hand collection is difficult.

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Fig. 1
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Change history

  • 13 March 2020

    In the original publication of the article the sentence under the heading “Primer and probe design” was published incorrectly. The correct sentence is given in this correction.

  • 13 March 2020

    In the original publication of the article the sentence under the heading ���Primer and probe design��� was published incorrectly. The correct sentence is given in this correction.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Rio Souma and Aozora Kakuda, University of Hyogo, for their help with laboratory experiments, and Hiroki Yamanaka, Ryukoku University, for advice about the PCR inhibitation test. This study was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (4-1602) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, Japan, and by JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers 15K00596 and 18K11678 to IK.

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Author notes

  1. Daisuke Togaki and Hideyuki Doi contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, 1-1-12 Shinzaike-Honcho, Himeji, 670-0092, Japan

    Daisuke Togaki & Izumi Katano

  2. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8577, Japan

    Daisuke Togaki

  3. Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28, Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan

    Hideyuki Doi

  4. Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Kitauoyahigashi-machi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan

    Izumi Katano

Authors
  1. Daisuke Togaki
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  2. Hideyuki Doi
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  3. Izumi Katano
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Correspondence to Daisuke Togaki.

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Togaki, D., Doi, H. & Katano, I. Detection of freshwater mussels (Sinanodonta spp.) in artificial ponds through environmental DNA: a comparison with traditional hand collection methods. Limnology 21, 59–65 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-019-00584-0

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