Science Response 2009/004

Peer review to assess the taxonomic validity of the lake Winnipeg physa

Context

In November 2002, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed and designated Lake Winnipeg Physa, a small freshwater snail, as Endangered, on the basis of a new status report. The Canadian government must decide whether to list Lake Winnipeg Physa (also known as P. winnipegensis)as Endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA). Prior to making that decision, all relevant and available information will be considered including the taxonomic validity of Lake Winnipeg Physa. To that end, on 24 November 2008 the Oceans, Habitat and Species at Risk Directorate in Central and Arctic Region submitted a request for advice to DFO Central and Arctic Science. They asked whether there is sufficient evidence that Lake Winnipeg Physa is a distinct species or a discrete taxonomic unit that is evolutionarily significant. The response deadline for the request was initially 30 January 2009. Given the relatively short timeline to provide advice, a Science Special Response Process was used to conduct a peer review of the issue

A regional advisory meeting was held via teleconference call on 9 March 2009 to try to answer three questions: (1) whether Lake Winnipeg Physa is fundamentally (measurably) different from other co-extant physids; (2) if so, what taxonomic level it represents; and (3) whether that taxonomic entity is “significant”. If the available information was not sufficient the participants were asked to develop a list of research activities that would have to be undertaken before the questions could be answered. The meeting discussions were based on publications by Pip (2004) and Pip and Franck (2008), expert reviews commissioned by DFO prior to the meeting of these two publications, the Lake Winnipeg Physa COSEWIC status report as well as verbal descriptions of unpublished data on Lake Winnipeg Physa provided by  E. Pip during the meeting.

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