First record of the invasive non-native Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia (Benson 1842) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from Shatt Al-Basrah Canal, Basrah, Iraq.

The invasive Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia has now been recorded from the Shatt Al-Basrah Canal in the south of Iraq. High densities of up to 102 ind.m^-2 were found on rocky substrates in the intertidal zone during March 2020. The species was confirmed based on morphological characters of the shell. We hypothesize that the initial introduction was associated with shipping, with secondary dispersion into the Shatt Al-Basrah canal. It is possible that the species could extend its distribution into the Shatt Al-Arab and northern Arabian Gulf naturally or by additional anthropogenic means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]