Rayed Bean (Villosa fabalis)

Rayed bean mussel lying in a hand to show size comparison. Photo by USFWS; Angela Boyer

The rayed bean, a small mussel that only grows to about 1 1/2 inches in length, can no longer be found in much of its historic range in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.

Photo by USFWS; Angela Boyer

The rayed bean is a freshwater mussel that has been extirpated from Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia but is still found in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada. It is a small mussel, usually less than 1.5 inches long. Generally, it lives in smaller, headwater creeks, but is sometimes found in large rivers and wave-washed areas of glacial lakes. The rayed bean prefers gravel or sand substrates, and is often found in and around roots of aquatic vegetation.

Rayed Bean and Snuffbox Mussels Listed as Endangered

News Release (Feb. 13, 2012): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists Two Freshwater Mussels as Endangered Species

Federal Register Final Rule: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Rayed Bean and Snuffbox as Endangered (Feb. 14, 2012)

Rayed Bean Fact Sheet (Feb. 2012)

Questions and Answers: Rayed Bean and Snuffbox Mussels Listed as Endangered (Feb. 2012)

Status Assessment Report for the rayed bean, Villosa fabalis, occurring in the Mississippi River and Great Lakes systems (September 2002) - - 62-page PDF; 266KB

Information about the Snuffbox

Midwest Endangered Species Home

Last updated: January 30, 2013

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