By Ristiyanti Marwoto, LIPI, Indonesia
We conducted comprehensive surveys of freshwater molluscs in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java, during dry season in 2015 and during wet season in 2016. In the national park, we recorded nine species of snails and two species of bivalves from 74 different rivers, streams and rice fields. The riverine snail Sulcospira testudinaria has a wide distribution and was recorded from 11 locations. The “endangered” native apple snail Pila scutata was only found from three locations in Sirnarasa (Sukabumi) and Lebak (Banten), the viviparid Filopaludina javanica from 12 locations, mainly from rice fields. The bivalve Corbicula javanica was only found from two locations in Kampung Cengkuk and Kampung Sirnarasa in Sukabumi. Local people usually collected and consumed snails (F. javanica & P. scutata) and bivalves (C. javanica) but not the invasive snail Pomacea canaliculata. The occurrence of freshwater molluscs in Halimun Salak National Park will be mapped to show its distribution. The habitat of P. scutata needs to be protected from the invasion of the golden apple snail P. canaliculata. The illegal gold mining that is currently operating at the border areas of the national park might be one of the important aspects affecting the quality of the rivers and streams in the national park.
