The Invasion of the Mediterranean Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819), to the Caspian Sea Basin

In the spring of 2023, scientists of the Volga-Caspian Branch Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (CaspNIRKH) discovered large specimens of a mollusk species, which appeared to be new to the local fauna, in trawl catches during a research cruise in the Caspian Sea. This species was identified as the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, using molecular genetics methods, including sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene. In the summer, specimens of the invader were recorded from bottom samples in several areas of the sea. Due to the biological features of this species, it is assumed to be naturalized in the Caspian Sea ecosystem, which will contribute to the enrichment of the food supply for fish and to the involvement of this filter-feeding mollusk in the self-purification processes in the sea.