Alabama pearl shell
Encyclopedia
The Alabama pearl shell, scientific name Margaritifera marrianae, is a species
of freshwater mussel, an aquatic
bivalve mollusk in the family Margaritiferidae
, the freshwater pearl
mussels.
This species is endemic to the United States
. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of freshwater mussel, an aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
bivalve mollusk in the family Margaritiferidae
Margaritiferidae
Margaritiferidae is a family of medium-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the order Unionoida. They are known as freshwater pearl mussels, because they are capable of producing pearls.-Genera within the family Margaritiferidae:...
, the freshwater pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
mussels.
This species is endemic to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is threatened by habitat loss.