''Fusconaia cuneolus'', the fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel or fine-rayed pigtoe, is a species of

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 ...

in the family

Unionidae The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids. The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most diverse ...

. It is native to

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in the United States, in each of which its population has declined severely. It is a federally listed

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 ...

of the United States. Like other freshwater mussels, this species reproduces by releasing its larvae, or

glochidia The glochidium (plural glochidia) is a microscopic larval stage of some freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae, the river mussels and European freshwater pearl mussels. These larvae are ...

, 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 Fathead minnow (''Pimephales promelas''), also known as fathead or tuffy, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus ''Pimephales'' of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North Ameri ...

(''Pimephales promelas'');

river chub The river chub (''Nocomis micropogon'') is a minnow in the family Cyprinidae. It is one of the most common fishes in North American streams. Appearance and anatomy The river chub is a robust minnow, dark olivaceous above to dusky yellow below, ...

(''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 The mottled sculpin (''Cottus bairdii'') is a species of freshawater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species has a wide but scattered North American distribution. As the name suggests, its coloration ...

(''Cottus bairdi'').''Fusconaia cuneolus''.
The Nature Conservancy. There is only one large population which is located in the

Clinch River The Clinch River is a river that flows southwest for more than through the Great Appalachian Valley in the U.S. states of Virginia and Tennessee, gathering various tributaries, including the Powell River, before joining the Tennessee River in Ki ...

. This species appears to be most closely related to ''

Fusconaia cor The shiny pigtoe (''Fusconaia cor'') is a species of bivalve in the family Unionidae. It is endemic to the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a coun ...

''.

References

External links

Molluscs of the United States cuneolus Bivalves described in 1840 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot ESA endangered species {{Unionidae-stub