Fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel
| Fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionoida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Fusconaia |
| Species: | F. cuneolus |
| Binomial name | |
| Fusconaia cuneolus (Lea, 1840) | |
The fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel or fine-rayed pigtoe (Fusconaia cuneolus) is a species of bivalve in the Unionidae family. It is native to Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States, in each of which its population has declined severely. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Like other freshwater mussels, this species reproduces by releasing its larvae, or glochidia, into the water where they make their way into the bodies of fish. There they develop into juvenile mussels. Fish hosts for this mussel include fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas); river chub (Nocomis micropogon); stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum); telescope shiner (Notropis telescopus); Tennessee shiner (Notropis leuciodus); white shiner (Luxilus albeolus); whitetail shiner (Cyprinella galactura); and the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).[1]
There is only one large population which is located in the Clinch River.[1]
References
- 1 2 Fusconaia cuneolus. The Nature Conservancy.
External links
- Bogan, A.E. 1996. Fusconaia cuneolus. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 September 2011.