Abstract

Limnoperna fortunei, commonly known as the golden mussel, is a highly invasive freshwater bivalve that has spread extensively across South America, causing significant ecological and economic disruptions. Its invasion alters native biodiversity, reshapes trophic interactions, and generates costly challenges for hydroelectric power plants and other industries. To address these impacts, understanding the ecological and biological mechanisms underlying the golden mussel’s invasion is crucial. This review examines three key aspects of L. fortunei’s role in invaded ecosystems
a) Its impact on food webs through the establishment of novel ecological relationships, including competition, predation, and commensalism.
b) The development of new predator-prey dynamics involving fish, freshwater turtles, crabs, and hydrozoans.
c) Its dispersal mechanisms, which are facilitated by human activities such as fishing, boating, and shipping, as well as animal-mediated transport.

By synthesizing current knowledge, this review underscores the importance of targeted prevention, control strategies, and public outreach to mitigate the spread and impacts of L. fortunei, emphasizing the need for further research to address knowledge gaps in its ecological interactions and dispersal.

Keywords:Biological invasion; Ecosystem; Ecological interactions; Environmental impacts; Food web; Golden mussel; Hydroelectric power plants; Invasive species; Freshwater; Limnoperna fortunei