Habitats of Molluscs: Lowland Rivers

Common species frequently associated with lowland rivers in Britain.

The nomenclature used in the list follows "An annoted list of the non-marine mollusca of Britain and Ireland."  by Dr. Roy Anderson,  2005 in Journal of Conchology Vol. 38: Part 6 pages 607– 637, which may also be accessed from the menu to the left under 'British Non-marine List'

Lowland river

If the water is "hard", the gastropods most frequently found in this habitat are likely to include some of the following:–

Ancylus fluviatilis, Anisus vortex, Bathyomphalus contortus, Bithynia leachii, Hippeutis complanatus, Lymnaea fusca, L. stagnalis, Physa fontinalis, Physella acuta, Planorbarius corneus, Planorbis carinatus, P. planorbis,  Potamopyrgus antipodarum, Radix auricularia, R. balthica,Theodoxus fluviatilis, Valvata cristata, V. piscinalis, Viviparus viviparus.

The bivalves occurring in lowland river habitats are likely to include some of the following:–

Anodonta anatina, Dreissena polymorpha, Pisidium amnicum, P. casertanum, P. henslowanum, P. moitessierianum, P. nitidum,  P. subtruncatum, P. supinum, Sphaerium corneum, S. rivicola, Unio pictorum, U. tumidus.

In "soft" water the fauna will be significantly reduced from the above lists.