 On Sunday 5 August 2007, Al Mahar team went to Qanater El Khayreya, north of Cairo. We went by car this time, and it took us one hour to get there. Once we arrived, we met some fishermen, and Mostafa (fisherman and a diver) dived and got us Chambardia rubens ,which was our main target, in addition to Mutela rostrata, Nitia teretiuscula and Coelatura aegyptiaca. The weather was very hot, reaching 40ºC, and even the water temperature was 29ºC. The specimens were collected at a distance of 25 m from the shore, 4.5 m deep.
We took the specimens and returned to our lab at Cairo University where we started working on them. Chambardia was opened with great difficulty. Samples from the mantle, gonads and gills were taken from both Chambardia and Mutela to be sent to DLG for DNA analysis.
Al Mahar team is looking forward for further trips to collect more mussel specimens along the Nile. |
