A NEW population of critically endangered freshwater pearl mussels has been discovered in a Scottish river.

Kieran Leigh-Moy, a graduate on the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) placement scheme, found the creatures unexpectedly while looking for a site where the species could be reintroduced.

Freshwater pearl mussels can live up to 280 years but the species is critically endangered as a large proportion of the populations across Europe have not been breeding successfully for several decades.

The exact location of the newly discovered site, on a tributary of the River Spey, is being kept

secret to protect the freshwater pearls mussels from potential illegal harvesting.

Leigh-Moy said: “I’d already identified this river as potentially having good quality habitat so was visiting the site to conduct more in-depth surveys to see if it would be a suitable site for a reintroduction but was stunned to find juvenile freshwater pearl mussels already there.

“It’s really rare to find a new population of these mussels and especially one that is breeding successfully, so it was a really exciting moment.

“What’s particularly significant is that the

juvenile mussels found were many miles away from the nearest known breeding population and that’s good news because it could help to prevent further range contraction of the species.”

Leigh-Moy has been working on a project to understand why freshwater pearl mussels in the river were not breeding and to locate sites where they could be reintroduced. It is hoped the approach he has developed can be used to help prioritise conservation efforts and find good habitats for freshwater pearl mussels, as well as mitigate the shrinking range of the species in the river.

Giles Brockman, from Forestry and Land Scotland, said: “This is really exciting news ... this is a strong indication that actions to protect water courses are effective and can help to sustain and nurture wildlife and rare species.”