Record of Cipangopaludina chinensis laeta (Mollusca: Viviparidae) from Honjuku Canal in Fuchu City, Tama, Tokyo

Abstract

Cipangopaludina chinensis laeta (Martens, 1861) is listed as an endangered subspecies in the Red Data Books of Japan and Tokyo. There are no reliable records of this subspecies from Tama, a region of Tokyo, since 1985. This study reports the subspecies found to be surviving specimens in earth ditches (branches of the Honjuku Canal) passing through paddy fields in Fuchu City, Tama, in August 2013 and 2014. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the distribution and genetic characteristics of this subspecies throughout the region for implementing conservation measures.