Coosa moccasinshell
Encyclopedia
The Coosa moccasinshell (Medionidus parvulus) is a rare species
of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae
, the river mussels. This aquatic
bivalve mollusk is native to Georgia
and Tennessee
in the United States, and has been extirpated
from the state of Alabama
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This mussel is up to 4 centimeters long or occasionally larger and has a thin, fragile, dark brown or yellow-brown shell. The nacre
of the shell is blue, sometimes with pink areas.
This mussel is native to the Mobile River
drainage, where it was once sporadic but widespread. This species is rare except in Polk County, Tennessee, where it is locally common in the Conasauga River
. It can also be found in the tributary Holly Creek, which extends into Georgia. It is in severe decline, having been extirpated from much of the Coosa River
system and all of the waterways in Alabama where it once occurred.
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 in the family Unionidae
Unionidae
Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, naiads, or simply as unionids.The range of distribution for this family is world-wide...
, the river mussels. This 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 is native to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in the United States, and has been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This mussel is up to 4 centimeters long or occasionally larger and has a thin, fragile, dark brown or yellow-brown shell. The nacre
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
of the shell is blue, sometimes with pink areas.
This mussel is native to the Mobile River
Mobile River
The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately river drains an area of of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its drainage basin is the...
drainage, where it was once sporadic but widespread. This species is rare except in Polk County, Tennessee, where it is locally common in the Conasauga River
Conasauga River
The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is long and is home to 90 species of fish and 25 species of freshwater mussels...
. It can also be found in the tributary Holly Creek, which extends into Georgia. It is in severe decline, having been extirpated from much of the Coosa River
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
system and all of the waterways in Alabama where it once occurred.
External links
- Bogan, A.E. 1996. Medionidus parvulus. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 September 2011.