Taxonomic Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Mollusks of the Western Coast of Buor-Khaya Bay (Laptev Sea, Yakutia Republic, Russia)

Data on factors influencing the diversity of benthic invertebrates are crucial for both the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and the monitoring of freshwater ecosystem health. The aim of this study was to investigate the taxonomic diversity of mollusks and assess the influence of environmental factors on their distribution and density in the High Arctic. Four species of freshwater mollusks were found in water bodies along the coast of Tiksi Bay and the Bykovsky Peninsula. The mollusks we discovered are adapted to high-latitude conditions. Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we examined the relationships between ecological factors and mollusk presence. Our findings indicate that substrate type, abundance of aquatic macrophytes, and hydrochemical parameters play key roles in mollusk distribution across the studied lakes and streams.