Bivalves (excl. Unionid mussels) + Zebra mussel (freshwater)
Bivalves (excl. Unionid mussels) + Zebra mussel (freshwater)
SKU:AQ-A-FL-FZM
This product tests for:
- Bivalves (excl. Unionid mussels)
- Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)
Includes a hand-operated syringe, to push water through the kit’s filter. The filter collects and stores your eDNA.
Looking to work with a powered pump, such as a Vampire Sampler? Please select instead the ‘for pump’ version of this kit from the multi + single species (freshwater) collection.
What do I receive?
What do I receive?
For each product purchased, you will receive:
- One sampling kit, to collect / store / transport your eDNA
- One report per test ('assay')
Regional considerations
Regional considerations
Multi-species:
The ‘Bivalves (excl. Unionid mussels)’ and ‘Unionid mussels’ tests are designed for use in the UK. They can be used outside of the UK, but we have less information on what they will detect. All other freshwater tests can be used in freshwater systems across the globe.
Single-species:
The single-species, qPCR tests ('assays') we offer have been developed and validated in specific regions of the world. They can perform equally well outside of these regions, but, when deploying them outside of their validated regions, we advise running some preliminary surveys, before deploying the tests more widely.
Regions in which each test has been validated are listed below:
Global:
- Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis)
Europe & North America:
- Herring (Clupea harengus)
Canada & USA:
- Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
- Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
- Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
- Rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss)
- Redside dace (Clinostomus elongatus)
- Round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceaum)
Canada:
- Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
- Burbot (Lota lota)
- Silver shiner (Notropis photogenis)
Europe:
- Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans)
- Crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci)
- European eel (Anguilla anguilla)
- Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) (not for UK licensing)
- Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus)
UK & Ireland:
- Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)
- Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)
- Dreissenid mussels (genus level)
- White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes)
- Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)
UK:
- Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) (for UK licensing)
Best months for sampling?
Best months for sampling?
Kit instructions
Kit instructions
Kit instructions available here.
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Product info
All items in an order will be processed and reported together. If you need some items to be reported separately, please place multiple orders.
All items in an order can be shipped to only one location. If some items need to be shipped to a different location, please place a separate order for these items. (These items will be reported separately, as they are part of a separate order.)
Collapsible content
Kit contents
eDNA collection, storage and safe transport. Your kit contains all you need to collect*, store and safely transport your eDNA sample.
(*Our tissue kits do not include the nets or traps you may wish to use to catch the organisms the kit is designed to contain.)
Preservation buffer (which helps to preserve and protect the eDNA).
One pair of gloves. If two or more people are using one kit, please purchase more sets of gloves (not available from NatureMetrics).
Sterile bags for transporting your samples.
For more info on all our kits, visit our kits page.
Reports
For each test purchased, you will receive one report.
e.g. if you buy x5 ‘vertebrate + fish (freshwater)’, you will receive two reports, one with all the vertebrate results from the 5 samples, and another, separate report, for all the fish results from the 5 samples.
Reporting formats for multi-species tests and single-species tests are very different.
For more info on reports, and to see examples of each, please visit our reports page.
Important info
Kits must be used within 12 months of purchase. After 12 months the preservation buffer can degrade. If you have aquatic kits, you can purchase replacement preservation buffer from us (not available from this store). To purchase, please contact us.
Freshwater multi-species tests - key info:
Vertebrates
Detects fish, amphibians and mammals, generally to species level. Some closely related fish species, such as perch and zander cannot be separated.
Terrestrial mammal eDNA can often end up in nearby water courses, so this test can have the added benefit of delivering detections for some terrestrial vertebrates.
Results are often comprised of a high percentage of fish species (especially ray-finned fish, Actinopterygii) and can include marine mammals, and high (family) level identification for some bird species.
Birds and reptiles can be detected, but this test should not be relied upon as a comprehensive test for these groups.
Fish
Optimised for ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) such as tuna, seahorses, gobies, cichlids, flatfish, wrasse, perch, anglerfish and pufferfish.
This test does not perform as well for detecting sharks and rays.
In some cases, this test does not provide species level data, e.g. river lamprey and brook lamprey; ide and dace.
Mammals
Detects aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals, and many terrestrial mammals who have visited the water or are nearby – as terrestrial mammal eDNA can often end up in nearby water courses, via runoff.
Detection of terrestrial species can be sporadic as they are less likely to contact water and deposit eDNA. Detection of terrestrial species is dependent on the species either directly interacting with water and/or their eDNA being transported from other waterbodies/via runoff.
Insects
Detects mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, beetles, mussels and other invertebrates and insects. Particularly useful for detecting chironomid flies (non-biting midges) which are used in many parts of the world to monitor freshwater health.
Identifies many taxa to species level that are otherwise difficult to disambiguate (e.g. chironomids).
Detects many species that are important indicators of water quality.
Designed for arthropods, this test carries a bias towards soft-bodied taxa (e.g. Diptera spp.) over hard-bodied taxa (e.g. Coleoptera spp.).
Bivalves (excl. Unionid mussels)
Used to identify mussels in the family Veneridae, and can detect presence of zebra mussels, quagga mussels, and Asian clams.
Designed for use in the UK. Can be used outside of the UK, but we have less information on what it can detect.