Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis), recorded as Endangered
Oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Oyster mussel

Epioblasma capsaeformis

Oyster mussel is a bivalve in the family Unionidae (order Unionida) — Epioblasma capsaeformis, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Epioblasma capsaeformis
Taxonomy
Bivalvia · Unionida · Unionidae · Epioblasma

Appearance

The periostracum is sunshiny, yellowish green, with green rays over the entire shell. The nacre color is bluish-white to creamy. Host fish species for this mussel include the wounded darter (Etheostoma vulneratum), redline darter (E. Rufilineatum), bluebreast darter (Etheostoma camarum), dusky darter (Percina sciera), banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae), black sculpin (Cottus baileyi), and mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).

This mussel is elliptical or obovate in shape and reaches a maximum length of 70 mm.

Range and habitat

This aquatic bivalve mollusk is native to the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States. This mussel was once widely distributed and common. It is now extirpated from the Cumberland River system and the main artery of the Tennessee River.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Habits

This mussel is known as a long term brooder, or bradytictic, meaning it spawns in late summer or fall and releases its larvae in early spring.

In crisis

It has declined 80% from its historical abundance. It remains in the Nolichucky River of Tennessee and the Clinch River in Tennessee and Virginia. Specimens once classified as this species that remain in the Duck River in Tennessee have now been classified as a separate species, Epioblasma ahlstedti.

The main threat to this species is habitat alteration such as channelization and impoundments of waterways, increased silt, and pollution.

Oyster mussel is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Oyster mussel, Wikidata item Q308039. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Cumberlandian combshell

Epioblasma brevidens
Photograph of Epioblasma torulosa (Epioblasma torulosa), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Epioblasma torulosa

Epioblasma torulosa
Photograph of Epioblasma triquetra (Epioblasma triquetra), recorded as EndangeredEN

Epioblasma triquetra

Epioblasma triquetra
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus

Quick answers

What is Oyster mussel?
Oyster mussel is a bivalve in the family Unionidae (order Unionida) — Epioblasma capsaeformis.
What is the conservation status of Oyster mussel?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Epioblasma capsaeformis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Oyster mussel live?
This aquatic bivalve mollusk is native to the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States.
Why is Oyster mussel in crisis?
It has declined 80% from its historical abundance.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Epioblasma capsaeformis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Oyster mussel a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.