The Diversity and Conservation Status of the Molluscs of Lake Skadar/Shkodra

Research on the aquatic molluscs of Lake Skadar has a long tradition, starting with the paper published by Küster in 1843. The Lake Skadar basin consists of the lake itself and a variety of nearby water bodies, including lotic waters, pools, and springs that are inhabited by diverse communities of freshwater molluscs. A total of 53 freshwater mollusc species, ten species of Bivalvia and 43 species of Gastropoda, have been found in the Lake Skadar basin and Lake Šasko, with 15 being endemic. Some of the basin’s endemic species are common and relatively unconfined in terms of depths and zones. A characteristic feature of the lake is the presence of endemic species restricted to sublacustrine spring habitats. The lake’s ongoing process of eutrophication, its use as a water supply, and the ecological disruption caused by non-native species are generally recognized as the main threats to the lake’s mollusc fauna. Future research on the lake’s gastropod fauna should focus on the application of molecular methods and including the endemic species in ongoing national and transboundary conservation programs.