Ouachita Rock Pocketbook Mussel (Arkansia wheeleri)
Status: Endangered (56 FR 54950; October 23, 1991). Critical habitat has not been designated.
Description: The Ouachita rock pocketbook is a freshwater mussel. Its shell reaches a maximum size of
4.4 inches (11 cm) long, 3.4 inches (8.6 cm) high, and 2.4 inches (6 cm) wide. The shell is relatively thick, moderately
inflated, and subovate. The outer surface is chestnut-brown to black with a silky luster. It is distinguished from other
similar appearing species by distinctive details of its shell.
Life History: Very little is known about the life history of the Ouachita rock pocketbook. However, closely
related species develop eggs during the fall and then release larvae during the spring. The larvae attach to fins,
gills, or scales of fish until they mature. Adults feed by filtering out plankton and small particles from the water.
Habitat: The Ouachita rock pocketbook inhabits pools, backwaters, and side channels of certain rivers and large creeks in or near the southern slope of the Ouachita Uplift. The species occupies stable substrates containing gravel, sand, and other materials. The Ouachita rock pocketbook always occurs within large mussel beds containing a diversity of mussel species.
Distribution: The historical distribution of the Ouachita rock pocketbook included the Kiamichi River in
southeastern Oklahoma, the Little River in southwestern Arkansas, and the Ouachita River in central Arkansas.
Recent surveys have found it surviving in a small section of the Little River in Oklahoma, at one locality in the Ouachita River in Arkansas, and within an
88-mile (141 km) section of the Kiamichi River upstream from Hugo Reservoir. Other recent evidence of the species includes single shells recovered from Pine and Sanders Creeks in Texas.
Causes of Decline: The range of the Ouachita rock pocketbook has been reduced due to the construction and operation
of dams and by decreases in water quality. These and other factors pose continuing threats to the species.
Recovery Needs: Many life history and habitat requirements of the Ouachita rock pocketbook are not
well understood, and gathering information about these is a high priority. Protecting known populations and habitat, and restoring degraded populations and habitat, also are needed.
Other information: The Kiamichi River has an unusually large number of mussel species. However, it is believed that
no more than 1,800 individuals of the Ouachita rock pocketbook survive in that river and fewer than 100 individuals
survive in the Little River.
Information current as of July 2002
NOTICE: the Recovery Plan, particularly the Introduction and the Appendix, is
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Click HERE to get a copy of the Recovery Plan (PDF, 13.4 MB); this Plan can also be downloaded in parts, as follow:
