Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Fine rayed pigtoe pearly mussel

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Order
  
Unionoida

Genus
  
Fusconaia

Higher classification
  
Fusconaia

Phylum
  
Mollusca

Family
  
Unionidae

Scientific name
  
Fusconaia cuneolus

Rank
  
Species

Fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Fusconaia, Shiny pigtoe, Rough pigtoe pearly mu, Cumberland monkeyface pearly mu, Dromedary naiad

The fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel or fine-rayed pigtoe (Fusconaia cuneolus) is a species of bivalve in the Unionidae family. It is native to Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States, in each of which its population has declined severely. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Like other freshwater mussels, this species reproduces by releasing its larvae, or glochidia, into the water where they make their way into the bodies of fish. There they develop into juvenile mussels. Fish hosts for this mussel include fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas); river chub (Nocomis micropogon); stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum); telescope shiner (Notropis telescopus); Tennessee shiner (Notropis leuciodus); white shiner (Luxilus albeolus); whitetail shiner (Cyprinella galactura); and the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).

There is only one large population which is located in the Clinch River.

This species appears to be most closely related to Fusconaia cor.

References

Fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel Wikipedia