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Elk River Basin - Mussels Mussels are invertebrates, meaning that they do not have a backbone. Mussels feed by pulling water into their mouth and filtering food out of the water. You may have seen dead mussel shells along the side of a river. When mussels are alive, they bury themselves in the mud or gravel of a river. A lot of animals like river otters and raccoons feed on mussels. Mussels are very sensitive to polluted water, and the number of mussels in Missouri rivers has been declining over the years. Pictures of mussels and more information can be found at Southwest Missouri State University's Unio Gallery at http://courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/gallery/. Mussels and snails collected in the Elk River Basin in Missouri
Source: Missouri Department of Conservation, available at http://www.conservation.mo.gov/fish/watershed/elk/biotic/010bct16.htm 1 - Scientific names were updated through 1999 based on information provided by Sue Bruenderman, MDC research biologist/Malacologist. 2 - after 1965 - based on information from Oesch 1984. 3 - Sue Bruenderman believes this identification may be in error and probably should be Fusconaia flava. 4 - Riusech (1999) through genetic analysis found the mussels in the Elk River Basin to be ellipse (Venustaconcha ellipsiformis) rather than bleedingtooth mussels (Venustaconcha pleasii). Elktoe ( Alasmidonta marginata )
Source : http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page84_5.html. Fragile Papershell (Leptodea fragilis)
Source: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page120_1.html. |
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Elk River | James River | Sac River | Spring River | North Fork Salt River |
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Missouri Watershed Information Network (MoWIN) |
Page last updated August 26, 2008 |
