Karel Douda, PhD Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Department of Zoology and Fisheries Kamycká 129, Prague, CZ 165 21 Czech Republic

Visiting at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences was a fantastic experience that allowed me significant progress in my research field and shaped my ideas about freshwater biology. This would not be possible without all the great people in The Key Lab of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, mainly Prof. LIU Huan-Zhang and his colleagues, whose warm welcome and kind help made my stay in Wuhan one of the best experiences of my life 

During two months at IHB we investigated mainly freshwater bivalve Anodonta woodiana, a species with complex life cycle, which include obligatory parasitic stage developing on fishes. In other parts of the world the geographic range extensions expose A. woodiana to novel hosts, which has direct consequences for establishment success of its new populations, their population dynamics and potential for further spreading. Our study focused on the role of the short-term fish-parasitizing larval stage in explaining the dispersal of this species throughout freshwaters worldwide. We experimentally tested the host-parasite compatibility of A. woodiana with several potential host fish species (with focus on the bitterling fish) and combined the data with our previous work from the non-native (Danube River basin, Czech Republic) range. The results provide novel insights on the evolution of host specificity in unionid bivalves and clarify the role of broad host generalism (unique among unionid bivalves) on invasion potential of A. woodiana.  

During two months at IHB I enjoyed the unique experience of living and working in Wuhan and several interesting places in Hubei Province we visited during field trips.  I’m very grateful that I had an opportunity to visit IHB, use the institute academic facilities, and to meet such open and generous people. My stay there was very useful for my research and I’ve gained an unforgettable life experience.