Pleurobema collina
STATUS: Endangered
Description and Distribution The James spinymussel is a small freshwater mussel slightly less than three inches in length. Adults have a dark brown shell with prominent growth rings and occasionally, short spines on each valve. Young mussels have a shiny yellow shell with or without one to three short spines. Prior to its decline, this freshwater mussel was found throughout the upper James River above Richmond and in all of its major upstream tributaries. The species has declined rapidly during the past two decades and now exists only in small, headwater tributaries of the upper James River basin in Virginia and West Virginia and the upper Roanoke River drainage of Virginia and North Carolina.
Life History: Suitable habitat forthis species includes free-flowing streams with a variety of flow regimes. The James spinymussel is found in a variety of substrates that are free from silt. Like other freshwater mussels, this species is a filter feeder. It feeds on plankton collected from water that is passed over its gills. Reproduction occurs sexually. Females carry eggsin their gills. During spawning, themale releases sperm into the watercolumn and the sperm is taken into the female through the gills. The resulting larvae (known as glochidia) are released from the female into the water column and must attach to a fish host to survive. While attached to the fish host, development of the glochidia continues. Once metamorphosis is complete, the juvenile mussel drops off the fish host and continues to develop on the stream bottom. Known fish hosts for this species include the bluehead chub (Nocomisleptocephalus), rosyside dace(Clinostomus funduloides),blacknose dace (Rhinichthysatratulus), mountain redbelly dace(Phoxinus oreas), rosefin shiner(Lythrurus ardens), satinfin shiner(Cyprinella analostana), centralstoneroller (Campostomaanomalum), and swallowtail shiner(Notropis procne).
Conservation: The Jamesspinymussel was federally listed as an endangered species on July 22, 1988. The primary reason for its decline is habitat loss and modification. Threats to this species include siltation, invasion of the non-native Asiatic clam (Corbiculafluminea), impoundment ofwaterways, water pollution, stream channelization, sewage discharge, agricultural runoff including pesticides and fertilizers, poor logging and road/bridge construction practices, and discharge of chlorine.
What You Can Do To Help: If you reside on property that borders a stream or other waterway, avoid using chemicals or fertilizers on your land. To help control erosion and reduce runoff, maintain a buffer of natural vegetation along streambanks. Install fencing to prevent livestock from entering streams to reduce trampling of mussels, siltation, and input of waste products. Protecting water quality is the most effective way to conserve mussels.
Species Distribution from known occurrences. Species may occur in similar habitats in other counties.Green counties indicate observed within 20 years. Yellow counties indicate an obscure data reference to the species in the county. Red counties indicate observed more than 20 years ago.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
P.O. Box 11104
Richmond, Virginia 23230
(804) 367-1000
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Virginia Field Office
6669 Short Lane
Gloucester, Virginia 23061
(804) 693-6694
References:
Hove, M.C. and R.J. Neves. 1994. Life history of the endangered James spinymussel Pleurobema collina (Conrad, 1837) (Mollusca:Unionidae). American Malacological Bulletin 11(1):29-40.
Neves, R.J. 1991. James spinymussel. Pages 281-282 in K.Terwilliger, ed. Virginia's Endangered Species, Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1990. James spinymussel(Pleurobema collina) recovery plan. Newton Corner, Massachusetts.
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