Purple bean
Encyclopedia
The purple bean is a species
of freshwater mussel, an aquatic
bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae
, the river mussels.
This species is endemic to the United States
. Its natural habitat
is river
s. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The purple bean is mainly found in northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. It inhabits small headwater streams to medium-sized rivers. It is also found in moderate to fast-flowing riffle
s with sand, gravel, and cobble substrates and rarely it is found in deep pools or slack water. It may occur in areas adjacent to water such as willow beds and under flat rocks. The purple bean is a filter-feeder which clings to the bottom. There is no exact number for population but it is estimated to be in the hundreds with the largest population found in the upper Clinch River and Indian Creek. This animal is declining. There was a chemical spill in the Clinch River in 1998 that killed at least 52 specimens. A current threat to the purple bean is a change in turbidity, increased suspended solids, and pesticides. A big impact to the purple bean’s habitat is localized coal mining. There have been five mine tailings pond spills from 1995 to 1999, one of which resulted in a major fish kill
. Chemicals that are found in coal fines such as polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are known to be toxic to mussels and fishes.REFERENCE
REFERENCE
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 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 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...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The purple bean is mainly found in northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. It inhabits small headwater streams to medium-sized rivers. It is also found in moderate to fast-flowing riffle
Riffle
A Riffle is a short, relatively shallow and coarse-bedded length of stream over which the stream flows at higher velocity and higher turbulence than it normally does in comparison to a pool....
s with sand, gravel, and cobble substrates and rarely it is found in deep pools or slack water. It may occur in areas adjacent to water such as willow beds and under flat rocks. The purple bean is a filter-feeder which clings to the bottom. There is no exact number for population but it is estimated to be in the hundreds with the largest population found in the upper Clinch River and Indian Creek. This animal is declining. There was a chemical spill in the Clinch River in 1998 that killed at least 52 specimens. A current threat to the purple bean is a change in turbidity, increased suspended solids, and pesticides. A big impact to the purple bean’s habitat is localized coal mining. There have been five mine tailings pond spills from 1995 to 1999, one of which resulted in a major fish kill
Fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...
. Chemicals that are found in coal fines such as polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are known to be toxic to mussels and fishes.REFERENCE
Source
- Bogan, A.E & Seddon, M.B. 2000. Villosa perpurpurea. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 7 August 2007.
REFERENCE