[Are the contours of the frontal section of shell valves in Bivalvia specific?].

The diagnostic importance of the character of curvature of the frontal section of shell valves in Bivalvia on the basis of determining the constant angle of the logarithmic spiral is discussed. The contours of the frontal section of shell valves in several species of mollusks of the families Margaritiferidae and Sphaeriidae have been analyzed. It is shown that in different species of the family Sphaeriidae, the values of constant angles coincide. While performing graphic constructions, it was established that the contours of the frontal section of all studied species of pearl mussels and some spheriids do not correspond to the segment of the logarithmic spiral. It was noted that the hypothesis of the species specificity of this character was not confirmed; therefore, the curvature of the frontal section of shell valves cannot be used as the main character for the systematics and species identification of bivalves.

[Results of testing the comparative method: the curvature of the shell valve frontal section is inappropriate as a systematic character for the freshwater pearl mussel of the genus Margaritifera].

This paper continues a discussion on the number of pearl mussel species of the genus Margaritifera in northern Europe. A biometric study of 1711 pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera shells from 15 rivers in Russia and Latvia (basins of the White and Baltic seas) has been conducted. All the examined samples fall into two groups: the northern group (with the shells more flattened on average, f. margaritifera) and the southern one (with more convex shells, f. elongata); the boundary between these groups is at 63 degrees N. Analysis of intrapopulation variation has shown that the samples contain individuals that correspond to f. margaritifera, f. elongata, and f. borealis. However, any hiatus between these forms is absent in all the samples, and individuals belonging to two intermediate forms are rather frequent. The hypothesis on the species specificity of the shell valve frontal section has not been confirmed based on examination of large shell samples. The pearl mussels inhabiting rivers of Northern Europe belong to a single species, M. margaritifera.

[Hybridization of two mussel species Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) and Dreissena bugensis (Andrusov, 1897) in natural environment].

Dreissenids display a high diversity of shell morphology, and it is frequently difficult to ascribe some individuals from mixed populations to one of the two species, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) or D. bugensis (Andrusov, 1897). Presumably, such individuals may be interspecific hybrids. We have analyzed species-specific allozyme loci of the typical representatives of these two mussel species and putative interspecific hybrids. A natural interspecific hybrid between D. polymorpha and D. bugensis was discovered for the first time by genetic methods. It has been demonstrated that D. bugensis was a maternal parent.