Detection of Cristaria plicata Using Environmental DNA (eDNA).
Cristaria plicata, a freshwater bivalve designated as an endangered species, inhabits buried beneath the substrate and releases somatic cells into the water during filter feeding. Therefore, environmental DNA (eDNA) can enhance the efficiency of detecting C. plicata. In this study, we assessed the possibility for detecting freshwater bivalves including C. plicata through metabarcoding of eDNA. In March 2024, water samples were collected at Cheongju, Gunsan, and in the Nakdong river, where sampling sites were selected based on the inhabitation of C. plicata. After eDNA extraction using GF/F filters and DNeasy Blood&Tissue Kit, mitochondrial 16S rDNA of freshwater bivalves was amplified using Unio 16S primer and analyzed via metabarcoding. C. plicata eDNA was detected at most sites according to the confirmed presence of C. plicata. However, at some sites in the mainstream of Nakdong river where C. plicata was known to inhabit, C. plicata eDNA was not detected. Changes in the riverbed environment caused by artificial factors may have negatively affected the habitat of C. plicata. And the high proportion of unassignment and the accumulation of eDNA at the littoral zone may be associated with the continuous inflow, as well as changes of depth and substrate in the lotic ecosystem. This study demonstrates that using eDNA for C. plicata detection enables to enhance the efficiency of surveys.