''Amblema neislerii'', the fat threeridge, is a freshwater

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...

native to the rivers in southern Georgia and Florida. It belongs to the family Unionidae. It resides in shallow rivers in the muddy and sandy bottom of the river beds. It was named an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

in 1998 by state and federal agencies and it is now considered critically endangered. The mussel is usually less than four inches in length and also in its width. It possesses a dark brown to black outer shell. Its inner shell is bluish white to purple with an

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

appearance. The shell is unique to mussels being inflated and also possessing approximately 7-9 prominent parallel ridges. It is a

filter feeder Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

. Food particles become trapped when filtered through and are eventually ingested. Currently the population of these mussels is declining. This is due to critical shortages in water due to violent droughts, which are destroying their habitat, within the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River system in Georgia and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Also, pollution from people and plants along the rivers, the disappearance of host fish and the introduction of other animals such as the

Asian Clam ''Corbicula fluminea'' is a species of freshwater clam native to eastern Asia which has become a successful invasive species throughout North America, South America, and Europe. ''Corbicula fluminea'' is commonly known in the west as the Asian cl ...

have aided in their decline in population. This specific mussel has never gotten much attention due to its physical profile that blends in with the usual muddy background and its poor motor skills. Even being added to the endangered species act did not bring much attention to this specific mussel.

References

* Garber K. (29 October 2007). High and Dry in the South. U.S. News & World Report, Vol. 143, Issue 15. * The University Of Georgia
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External links

photo of a valve
{{Taxonbar, from=Q308005 Molluscs of the United States Unionidae Bivalves described in 1858 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot ESA endangered species Taxa named by Isaac Lea