''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 The Unionidae are a Family (biology), 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 a ...

. 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, inv ...

in 1998 by state and federal agencies and it is considered critically endangered by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

. 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 gradually to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Iridescence is caused by wave interference of light in microstruc ...

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 aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a s ...

. 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 Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. 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 the world, including North America, South America, Europe, and New Zealand. It is native to freshwater enviro ...

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 listed under the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of e ...

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. *

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