The Chinese giant mussel – Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia, Unionidae) – an unwelcome addition to the Swedish fauna

Two records of the invasive freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) from the provinces of Skåne (2005) and Västergötland (2007) in Sweden are reported. Both consist of single, dead specimens. In the first case its origin was a carp breed, in the second it was introduced with infected goldfish into a garden pond, where it lived for approximately three years and reached adult size. This second record is the northernmost known in Europe so far, and S. woodiana will probably not have any difficulties in establishing itself in South and Middle Sweden. The invasion history in Europe, the means of dispersal and the risks of the species establishment are briefly discussed.