Current status of freshwater malacofauna in continental Ecuador: taxonomy, geographic distribution and conservation status

Abstract

The freshwater malacofauna of Ecuador has been scarcely studied, generating significant
information gaps at the national level. The aim of this study was to describe the current
status of the taxonomic diversity, geographic distribution, and conservation status of
freshwater malacofauna in continental Ecuador through a meta-analysis based on an
exhaustive bibliographic review. Information was retrieved from academic databases
(Google Scholar and ResearchGate) and institutional repositories, optimizing the search
using digital tools. A checklist was developed including 61 species belonging to 17
families, with Ampullariidae standing out as the most representative (24.59%), followed
by Lymnaeidae (19.67%) and Mycetopodidae (13.11%). At a national scale, biological
composition showed a predominance of native species (49.18%), followed by introduced
species (19.67%), endemic species (18.03%), and unconfirmed records (13.11%). The
discussion focused on the analysis of the distribution of those species present in two or
more regions of the country, highlighting Corbicula fluminea as the only species recorded
in the Coast, Sierra, and Amazon, evidencing its ecological connectivity, adaptive capacity,
and association with human activities. Finally, it is concluded that national inventories
remain incomplete, making it a priority to develop field studies to fill the identified
information gaps, especially in areas with lower sampling effort.