By Doug Alderson, Apalachicola Riverkeeper Outreach & Advocacy Director
In honor of Endangered Species Day (May 15), we’ll take a look at the humble Fat Threeridge mussel. This mussel is only found along the lower Chipola River and Apalachicola River. Like all mussels, it is an indicator of river health in terms of water quality and adequate flow. It spends its entire life in one spot, feeding on plankton and organic matter. For reproduction, a female releases its glochidia (larvae) into the water column. And the only way the larvae is not just swept downstream is because it attaches to a host fish such as a minnow or sunfish and stays there developing about 10 to 14 days before dropping off to establish itself on a shallow section of river bottom.
Impoundments, dredging, pollution, siltation, exotic species such as the Asian clam, and low water flows have all impacted native mussel populations throughout the Southeast, including the Fat Threeridge in the Apalachicola Basin. The mussel once lived along the Flint River, but it hasn’t been found there for many years. Learn more at Fat Threeridge and Field Guide.
As of 2012, more than 30 federally threatened or endangered animal species inhabited the Apalachicola River Basin, one reason the region is considered a North American biodiversity hotspot. Many species are found nowhere else in the world! So, let’s celebrate this fact, but also renew our commitment to protect these species and the habitats where they live. Here are a few other photos of protected species in the Apalachicola Basin:
