''Alathyria condola'' is a
species of
freshwater river mussel, a
bivalve
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...
mollusk in the family
Hyriidae. This species occurs in coastal rivers in eastern
New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The
type specimen was collected from the
Murrumbidgee River.
The mussel is susceptible to
bioaccumulation
Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated ...
of hazardous levels of toxins from the
cyanobacterium ''
Anabaena circinalis
''Anabaena circinalis'' is a species of Gram-negative, photosynthetic cyanobacteria common to freshwater environments throughout the world. Much of the scientific interest in '' A. circinalis '' owes to its production of several potentially harmf ...
'' which can lead to
paralytic shellfish poisoning when eaten.
References
Hyriidae
{{bivalve-stub