One of the rarest freshwater mussels in North America, the purple cat's was widespread in the southern Ohio River and its larger tributaries before these rivers were dammed. The species was listed as endangered in 1990 when it was thought to be functionally extinct, meaning that some live adults existed in the wild, but these individuals did not appear to be producing any young.
In 1994, biologists discovered a breeding population in Killbuck Creek, Ohio, which renewed hope for the species' existence. However, water quality in Killbuck Creek has since degraded to such an extent that drastic measures are necessary to ensure the purple cat's paw mussel's survival.
Funded by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Preventing Extinction grants, surveys and efforts to collect purple cat's paw for captive propagation began.
