Taxonomical Classification of Freshwater Mollusks in

Barangay Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte

CHAPTER I

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Introduction
A
Scientific Journal

Presented to

Background of the StudyAnastacio Elston S. Eusores, LPT, MBio

Faculty of the
Freshwater environments areSenior
one ofHigh
the School Departmentecosystems around the
most threatened
Alangalang National High School
globe declining levels of biodiversity increasedLeyte
Alangalang, in fresh waters compared to the most

affected terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding the full range of freshwater diversity is

egregiously lacking, especially for invertebrates and particularly in tropical latitudes that
___________________
support most species in the world. Moreover, ecologists believe that the services provided
In Partial Fulfillment
by invertebrates to the environment are worth millions of dollars.
of the Requirement for the Subject
Capstone
Freshwater mollusks, such Project
as snails and(STEM)
clams, are known to be important

components of freshwater ecosystems and play a crucial role in maintaining water quality

and ecosystem health. While exploration of the biodiversity of marine mollusks have
By
continued, terrestrial and freshwater mollusks diversity had not been studied extensively.
Obera, Winona Fay F. •Macasusi, Maria Nikki C. •Yaba, Princess Graciela T. •Cadapan,
Karen Faith M. •Santiso, Jerick Angelo T. •Maguad, Noel Joshua A. •Abatias, Louie M. •
The Forteza, Kenjigreat
Philippines’ O. •Flores,
Allenmollusk Leo Jay
diversity B. • Rendora,
draws Francis
interest from M. foreign and
both

local scientists and researchers. From the 1970s to the 1980s and up until the present,
May 2023
there has been significant increase in the number of articles published on mollusks in the

country 80% of the publications were related to marine habitats (482 articles), 14% to
freshwater habitats (85%), 5% to terrestrial habitats (28), and 1% to brackish mollusks

(Ramos et al., 2018).

Unfortunately, many species of freshwater mollusks are facing threats and

declines due to habitat loss, pollution, over-harvesting, and other human activities and

was proven because according to Lydeard et al., (2004), mollusks have the highest

extinction rates of any major taxonomic group in the entire world.

In the Philippines, freshwater mollusks are also facing similar threats and

declines. According to the Philippine Red List of Threatened Species, at least 19 species

of freshwater mollusks in the country are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically

endangered. Some examples of threatened freshwater mollusks in the Philippines include

the Palawan Forest snail (Paralaoma luzonica), the Mindanao painted snail (Hemiplecta

distincta), and the giant freshwater clam (Tridacna gigas), which is also considered as one

of the world's largest clams and is a culturally and economically important species in the

country. Thus, it has been observed that ongoing, unmonitored, and regular resource

extinction, much like what happened to the economically significant populations of

bivalve species in the Philippines, including Anadara, Modiolus, Crassostrea, Placuna,

Phacoides, Periglypta, Tapes, Mactra, Haliotis, Strombus, and Paphia textilis. Batissa

violacea (Bivalvia) was recently designated an endangered species by the government

because of its declining stocks from 2000 to 2012.

It is important to take steps to protect and conserve freshwater ecosystems in the

Philippines and around the world, which includes protecting the habitats and populations
of freshwater mollusks and other species that rely on them. Prior to this study,

understanding the molluscan diversity could help determine the environment and

ecological conditions of the watershed for its effective management and conservation.

Through its taxonomical classification, researchers may be able to find out if one

of the collected samples of mollusks in the Alangalang, Leyte were one of those

endangered species stated above. In this way, it will be a great aid in conserving its

habitat

to ensure its current state will remain.

Objectives

Mollusks have the greatest number of extinctions of any taxonomic group.

(Vaughn, 2009). By the decline in these species’ populations, the biodiversity and

ecology of the country would surely be impacted. The aim of this study includes the

following.

 To find data that could help in classifying freshwater mollusk.

 To determine endangered species of mollusks that are present in the locality of

Alangalang, Leyte.

 To provide up to date information about Mollusks for prior studies.

Significance of the Study

 The findings of this study aim to present significant information and knowledge

regarding the chosen topic. The data that will be obtained in this study will be considered

relevant to the following sectors:

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. This study will serve as a basis for lacking

related studies in freshwater mollusk communities along such waterways. This study will

also serve as another data since the government lacks related studies regarding this study.

Community. The community will benefit from this research by learning more about

freshwater shells and being able to identify the different kinds of mollusks that are still

present in our locale.

Future Researchers. Future researchers who will conduct related studies will use the

findings and outcomes of this study as a source of information.

Materials and Methods

Study Area

The location of this study will be at Barangay Calasan Alangalang, Leyte, Eastern

Visayas, Philippines (11.2378, 124.8573; Figure 1), which spans 15100 hectares at a

height of roughly 27.1 meters asl. The wide agricultural area in Alangalang, Leyte, where

a variety of water mollusks can be found, as well as the location's connection to the

Mainit river's tributary, make the area well renowned for producing rice crop products.

The weather is classified as Category IV Filipino climate, which is marked by a generally

warm average temperature of between 25 and 32 °C and a distribution of rainfall that is

equal throughout the year.

Sampling Site

One sampling site were established. A branch of the Binongtoan River, Site 1

(11.236883, 124.856790), is a tributary. The area features a low canopy of forest cover

over an undulating environment. The water is semi-clear and shallow. There are homes

both sides of the tributary and trees all around the area. The area is accessible and near a

highway, Hubang Road.

LEGEND

-(Site 1) Tributary Stream

Collection and Analysis of Data

The study will be conducted in Brgy. Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte Eastern

Visayas Philippines. The place is characterized by having a body of fresh water, which is

essential in this study. The tributary is where the collection of mollusks will be gathered

due to the abundance of its population. During its collection, researchers will be using

gloves and will be using handpicking method. After the collection, the collected mollusks

samples will be placed in a container separately based on their appearance respectively.

Identification was done through a photographic guide; researchers will classify and

organize first the gathered samples based on their features; all the mollusks will be

consulted by a marine biologist to ensure their type. After the samples have been

consulted, researchers will classify the freshwater mollusks through taxonomical

classification.

Hypothesis

From the problem stated above, the following hypothesis were formulated

Ho1: The following endangered types of mollusks were found unavailable in the locality.

Ha2; The following endangered types of mollusks were found and classified in the

locality into its taxonomical classification.

Terminologies

To provide better understanding of the different terms used in this study, the

following terms were defined conceptually or operationally.

Freshwater – in this study, a selection of shells where it will be collected (the type of

water used in this study where the variables will be gathered and classified)

Taxonomical classification– a method of naming, defining, and classifying variables.

Mollusk – type of shells that will be classified to its taxonomical classification.

Freshwater shells can be found in a wide range of wet environments, from large lakes and

rivers to roadside ditches and backyard ponds. They are mostly found near the shallow

edges of bodies of water, where warmer temperatures and more light provide them with

more food than in deeper water.

The shift between radically different environments required the development of

specialized adaptations. The Mollusca is an unusually favorable group for the

investigation of such mechanisms in that they comprise one of the most successful

invertebrate phyla in their species diversity and in the diversity of the environment they

have y favorable group Within the large group of animals known as mollusks, three

subgroups’ snails, mussels and clams have representatives that live in freshwater.

Because all freshwater shells have hard shells that are frequently washed ashore, they are

among the most visible freshwater invertebrates. A taxonomic classification system can

be used to classify the different types of shells found in fresh water. The taxonomic

classification system is a method of organizing different species of life on Earth. The

taxonomic classification system used by scientists is ranked, or hierarchical, this means

that the categories become increasingly specific until they reach the final level of species.

This is the most specific classification of life on Earth. Different species are identified by
binomial nomenclature, which uses the last two taxonomic levels, genus, and species as

the identifier of the organism.

Mollusks have been historically important to humans in many ways and are today

an economically important group worldwide (Fortunato, 2015). A huge number of

molluscan species inhabit Philippine waters (over 20,000 by some estimates). Through

taxonomical classification, researchers will be able to identify specific species of

freshwater Phylum Mollusca present in Brgy. Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

In this study, numerical taxonomic design will be used since it aims to classify

species into higher taxa based on their general resemblance, usually in morphology or

other visible characteristics, and independent of their phylogeny or evolutionary

connections.

Research Locale
 The freshwater mollusk samples needed for the study will be gathered in Brgy.

Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte. One sampling site were established. A branch of the

Binongtoan River, Site 1 (11.236883, 124.856790), is a tributary. The collected samples

will be classified at the University of the Philippines Tacloban Marine Laboratory. This

research will take place during the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023.

The following mollusks will be collected in a tributary stream in Barangay

Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte, the researchers chose this study since it connects into a

larger stream or river where freshwater mollusks usually found.

Research Instrument

Photo documentation is used as a research tool in this study. Photo documentation

is when a researcher uses photography as a tool to create images that document and

answer certain research questions that the researcher is looking for in the study. The

photographic documentation will be used to help the classification of several types of

Mollusks in the Calaasan tributary.

Data Procedure

The data will be collected at Alangalang, Leyte, more especially in Barangay

Calaasan. An official letter requesting permission to conduct the research will be

addressed to the mayor's office in Alangalang, Leyte, as well as the Calaasan Barangay

Captain. Upon permission, the researchers will travel to the designated region and begin
collecting freshwater molluks samples, which will then be placed in a container. After the

the collection of the samples, the researchers will bring the samples to the Marine

Laboratory of University of the Philippines Tacloban, where they will be categorized

according to their taxonomic order. The samples should be gathered before the end of the

academic year 2022-2023.

Data Analysis

To identify and classify mollusk species collected from a tributary stream in

Barangay Calaasan Alangalang, Leyte. Researchers utilize taxonomic analysis in

Calaasan because it includes researching live species like as animals, plants, microbes,

and humans to categorize them for future study and identification (Biology Online

Dictionary, 2020). Taxonomic analysis will be performed by researchers in three stages:

organizing or grouping similar or related categories into larger categories, identifying

differences between subcategories and larger or overarching categories, and representing

the relationships between the categories and subcategories (Jones, 2012).

Riparian forests along tropical streams are one of the important

ecosystems for the targeted conservation of mollusks (Clements et al. 2006);

however, very few studies have examined mollusk communities in the forests along

such waterways. In the Philippines, Flores and Zafaralla (2012) found water quality

deterioration of Mananga River in Cebu based on physicochemical analyses. This

deterioration was validated by low diversity index. With the extensive destruction
and disturbance of freshwater and tropical forest ecosystems, there is a need

for studies on malacofaunal biodiversity to provide useful and realistic data for

conservation and management (Pérez-Quintero 2007).

Freshwater shells are an integral part of the complex web of life that supports biodiversity