Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Volume 50 Article 19

1996 New Distributional Records for Freshwater Mussels in the Ouachita River, Arkansas William R. Posey II Arkansas State University

John L. Harris Arkansas State University

George L. Harp Arkansas State University

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Recommended Citation Posey, William R. II; Harris, John L.; and Harp, George L. (1996) "New Distributional Records for Freshwater Mussels in the Ouachita River, Arkansas," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 50 , Article 19. Available at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol50/iss1/19

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New Distributional Records for Freshwater Mussels in the Ouachita River, Arkansas

WilliamR. Posey, II,John L.Harris and George L.Harp Department of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University i< State University, AR 72467

Abstract

Two freshwater mussel thought to have been extirpated from Arkansas have recently been rediscovered in the Ouachita River in the vicinity of Camden. Prior to this survey, Wheeler (1918) last reported Arkansia wheeleri Ortmann and Walker, the Ouachita rock-pocketbook, and Cumberlandia monodonta (Say), the spectaclecase, from the Ouachita River near Arkadelphia. apiculata (Lea), the southern mapleleaf, has been reported from Arkansas on two occasions, but due to taxonomic uncertainty, it has not been recognized in recent compilations of Arkansas freshwater mussels. During this survey, the southern mapleleaf was collected from the Ouachita River which verifies its occurrence within ? Arkansas. Quadrula fragosa (Conrad), the winged mapleleaf, is reported as a new state record. Arkansia wheeleri and Quadrula fragosa are listed as threatened and endangered species, respectively, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Introduction nearest meter using a Ranging 1200 Rangematic-MK5 dis- tance finder. Water depth was measured to the nearest Vanatta (1910) first reported on the freshwater mus- 0.1 m with a Hummingbird depth finder. sels of the Ouachita River from sites near the Arkansas- Qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative sam- Louisiana border. Wheeler (1918) reported on the fresh- pling techniques were employed, depending upon mussel water mussels of the Ouachita River in the vicinity of bed size and mussel densities within beds. Divers manual- Arkadelphia, Clark County, based on taxonomic determi- ly collected mussels from m- sample areas defined by nations provided by L.S. Frierson, A.E. Ortmann and PVC pipe quadrat delineators and placed them in nylon B.G. Walker. Wheeler (1918) listed forty taxa assignable mesh bags for transport to the surface. At the surface, to current species recognized by Turgeon et al. (1988) mussels were identified; measured to the nearest 0.1 mm and Williams et al. (1993). Gordon et al. (1979) summa- for length, width, and depth using vernier calipers; and rized freshwater mussel distributional data for Arkansas massed to the nearest gram (g) using an Ohaus Model and found historical records for 47 species from the CT6000-S analytical scale. A more detailed discussion of Ouachita River drainage proper. methodology can be found in Rust (1993) and Christian (1995).

Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Between 1992 and 1996, 234 person-days were spent conducting a systematic mussel survey of approximately Eight hundred forty-seven m2 samples were collected 233 river kilometers of the mainstem Ouachita River during the survey. Thirty-nine mussel species were identi- from its confluence with the LittleMissouri River down- fied from a total of approximately 23,500 specimens stream A > to the Arkansas-Louisiana state line. During this examined. single Arkansia wheeleri was encountered 16 survey, all habitats considered suitable for mussel aggre- June 1995 at River Mile 334.0 in a mussel bed estimated gations (beds) were searched by Hookah-rig diving and to be 200 m long and 13 m wide. At the bed site, the hand searching the substrate. Mussel beds were defined mean river width was approximately 50 m, water depth as areas greater than 100 meters square (m2) with mean ranged from 5.0-7.0 m, and substrate was composed of mussel densities >10/m-. Initial dive searches of potential gravel, gravel/sand, and sand. The A. wheeleri specimen mussel bed habitat were conducted in an upstream to was taken from near the upstream limit of the bed at downstream fashion to locate and then define the bed approximately mid-channel. The individual was 71.2 mm limits. Width was measured to the nearest meter by long, 54.4 mm deep and 38.3 mm wide with a wet mass of "walking" a weighted, PVC pipe, m- quadrat delineator 85 g. Twenty-five randomly selected m2 samples taken acrosss the bed, and bed length was determined to the from the bed yielded 584 specimens (x = 23.4, SD = 15.2)

Proceedings Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol.50, 1996

Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 1996 96 96 Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 50 [1996], Art. 19 William R. Posey, II,John L.Harris and George L.Harp

distributed among 22 species. In addition, one specimen known only from the Ouachita River near Arkadelphh of the endangered pink mucket, Lampsilis abrupta (Say), Clark County (Wheeler, 1918). Harris and Gordon (1987 was encountered in this bed. considered C. monodonta as possibly extirpated fron Wheeler (1918) collected Arkansia xuheeleri from Old Arkansas since no live or relict specimens had bee River, an oxbow lake of the Ouachita River near recorded since Wheeler's collections. Williams et a Arkadelphia, and from the Ouachita River below (1993) considered the widespread but uncommon C. mon Arkadelphia. Harris and Gordon (1987) considered A. odonta threatened within North America. wheeleri as possibly extirpated from Arkansas; however, Quadrula apiculata was collected from multiple site Clarke (1987) subsequently located live A. wheeleri in an between River Miles 358.7 and 221.2. A total number o eight km reach of Little River downstream of the six specimens was identified as Q apiculata. Quadrul Arkansas-Oklahoma border. It was considered endan- fragosa was taken from multiple collecting sites betweei gered in North America by Williams et al. (1993) and river miles 376.0 and 240.0. Five specimens were ident receives protection afforded threatened species by the fied as Q. fragosa. These species were originally identifiec Endangered Species Act (USFWS, 1991a). The Kiamichi as Q. quadrula and placed in composite voucher contain- River, OK, apparently supports the largest remaining ers. Therefore, exact localities are not available for all population of A. wheeleri which was estimated to consist specimens. However, vouchers taken from the River Mile of approximately 1,000 individuals (Mehlhop-Cifelli and 335.5 mussel bed represented both species. Miller,1989; USFWS, 1991a). Quadrula apiculata (Say) was recorded (as Q aspera) Clarke (1987) summarized Arkansia wheeleri habitat as from Old River near Arkadelphia by Wheeler (1918) "typically in muddy coves or backwaters adjacent to rif- Cooper (1948) listed Quadrula apiculata as occurring ii fles, or at the least close to areas of moderate to rapid Lake Chicot, Chicot County, AR; however, Harris et a current". Mehlhop-Cifelli and Miller(1989) and Vaughn (1993) did not find Q. apiculata in their survey of Lak et al. (1993) found that A. wheeleri only occurs in pools Chicot. Gordon et al. (1979), Harris and Gordon (unda with rock substrate. Vaughn et al. (1993) stated that A. ed), and Williams et al. (1993) all failed or refused to rec xuheeleri only occurs in large mussel beds in association ognize the southern mapleleaf's occurrence in Arkansas withother mussel species. Vidrine (1993) showed the species occurring in th The single A. xuheeleri specimen collected during this Ouachita River drainage inLouisiana. came from a m- (Conrad) occurred in 1( survey 2600 mussel bed with 21 mussel Quadrula fragosa1 historically species associates. At the Mile 334.0 bed site, the (USFWS, 1991b, Williams et al., 1993) to 12 states (Hay e Ouachita River has an upstream drainage area of approxi- al., 1995) within the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio anc mately 14,500 km2 (Yanchosek and Hines, 1979). The Cumberland River drainages. When listed as an endan total watershed of the Kiamichi River, OK, is approxi- gered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mately 4750 km2,and A. xuheeleri studied by Vaughn et al. (1991b), the winged mapleleaf was known to exist in only (1993) occurred at six sites with depths ranging from 0.3- a single population in the St. Croix River between north 1.2 m. The discovery of A. xuheeleri from the Ouachita western WI and east/central MN. Five specimens of Q River below Camden, AR, indicates that the species can fragosa were collected during this survey. occur in larger rivers than previously documented. There is considerable taxonomic disagreemen Qualitative collections yielded two Cumberlandia mon-- among malacologists regarding Q. apiculata and Q odonta specimens from downstream of the Ouachita fragosa. Electrochemical analyses are underway to eluci Little Missouri River confluence. The first specimen was date taxonomic relationships of Q. fragosa and Q. apiculatt collected on 24 October 1992 at River Mile375.1 in water in the Ouachita River drainage, Arkansas. approximately 1.0 m deep with sand/gravel substrate. It was found under branches of a large, downed tree aproxi- mately five m from the bank, and mussel densities were Conclusions estimated to be <5.0/m'-\ This first specimen measured 148.7 mm long, 52.6 mm deep, and 38.1 mm wide and Arkansia xuheeleri Ortmann and Walker, Cumberlandii had a wet mass of 136 g. The second specimen was col- monodonta (Say), and Quadrula apiculata (Say) had no lected on 18 July 1993 at River Mile 364.1 in water been reported from the Ouachita River as living speci approximately 3.0 m deep with gravel, cobble, cracked mens since the Wheeler (1918) survey conducted fron rock, and boulder substrate. This specimen was 121.0 mm 1910-1913. Quadrula fragosa (Conrad) has not been previ long, 46.7 mm deep, and 29.0 mm wide and was also ously reported from Arkansas. Our 1992-1996 survey con taken in an area with mussel densities estimated to be firms the continued existence of these four species in <5.0/m-\ Ouachita River, AR. The addition of Q. apiculata and Q Prior to this survey, Cumberlandia monodonta was fragosa to the state molluscan fauna brings the total num

Proceedings Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol.50, 1996 <

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New Distributional Records for Freshwater Mussels in the Ouachita River, Arkansas

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< ber of native unionids recognized in Arkansas to 74 Turgeon, D.D., A.E. Bogan, E.V. Coan, W.K. Emerson, species. — W.G. Lyons, W.L. Pratt, C.F.E. Roper, A.Sheltema, Acknowledgments. D. Stansbery, S. Chordas and F.G. Thompson and J.D. Williams. 1988. Common A.E. Bogan kindly provided identifications of problemat- and scientific names ofaquatic invertebrates from the < ic specimens. Able assistance in the field was provided by United States and Canada: mollusks. Am.Fisheries A. Christian, B. Crump, C. Davidson, P. Daniel, J. Soc. Special Pub. 16. I Hockmuth, L. Thompson and V. Posey. Funding was pro- U.S. Fish and WildlifeService. 1991a. Endangered and vided by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and threatened wildlife and plants; Final rule to list the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService. Ouachita rock-pocketbook (mussel) as an endangered species. Fed. Register 56(205):54950-54957. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1991b. Endangered and Literature Cited threatened wildlifeand plants; Determination of endangered status for the winged mapleleaf freshwa- Christian, A.C. 1995. Analysis of the commerical mussel ter mussel. Fed. Register 56(119):28345-28349. beds in the Cache and White Rivers in Arkansas. M.S. Vanatta, E.G. 1910. from southeastern thesis, Arkansas State University, Arkansas. 197 pp. Arkansas and northeastern Louisiana. The Nautilus Clarke, A.C. 1987. Status survey of Lampsilis streckeri and XXIII:102-104. Arcidens (Arkansia) wheeleri (Ortmann & Walker, Vaughn C.C., M.Pyron and D.Certain. 1993. Habitat Ecosearch, USFWS, 1912). Inc. Final Report to the use and reproductive biology of-Arkansia wheeleri in Office of Endangered Species, Jackson, Mississippi. the Kiamichia River, Oklahoma Final Report. + • 24 pp. appendix. Unpublished report to the Oklahoma Department of Cooper, CM. 1984. The freshwater bivalves ofLake WildlifeConservation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. o Chicot, an oxbow of the Mississippi in Arkansas. The 104 pp. Nautilus 98:142-145. Vidrine,M.F. 1993. The historical distributions of fresh Gordon, M.E., L.R.Kraemer Brown. water mussels inLouisiana. Gail Vidrine collectables, i and A.V. 1979. Q. Unionacea of Arkansas: historical review, checklist, Eunice, Louisiana. 225 pp. < and observations on distributional patterns. Bull. Williams, J.D.,M.L. Warren, Jr., K.D. Cummings, J.L. Amer. Malacol. Union 1979:31-37. Harris and R.D. Neves. 1993. Conservation status of ? Harris, J.L. and M.E. Gordon. Undated. Arkansas mussels. freshwater mussels of the United States and Canada. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, LittleRock. Fisheries 18(9):6-22. 32 pp. Wheeler, H.E. 1918. The of Clark Count), ? Harris. J.L. and M.E. Gordon. 1987. Distribution and sta- Arkansas, The Nautilus XXXI(4):109-125. tus of rare and endangered mussels (Mollusca: Yanchosek, J.J. and M.S. Hines. 1979. Drainage areas of Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) in Arkansas. Proc. streams in Arkansas. Ouachita River basin. U.S. Arkansas Acad. Sci. 41:49-56. Geological Survey Open-file Report 80-334. 87 pp. Harris,J.L., P. Rust, S.W. Chordas, IIIand G.L. Harp. 1993. Distribution and population structure of fresh water mussels (Unionidae) in Lake Chicot, Arkansas. Proc. Arkansas Acad. Sci. 47:38-43. Hay, R.W., D.J. Hornbach, S.L.Johnson and G.A. Miller. 1995. Distribution, status of life history of the winged mapleleaf mussel Quadrula fragpsa in the St. Croix River Minnesota and Wisconsin. Final Report to the U.S. Fish & WildlifeService, Twin Cities Field Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. 205 pp. Mehlhop-Cifelli, P. and E.K. Miller.1989. Status and dis- tribution ofArkansia wheeleri Ortmann 8c Walker, 1912 (syn. Arcidens luheeleri) in the KiamichiRiver, Oklahoma. Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ', Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rust, P.J. 1993. Analysis of the commercial mussel beds in the Black, Spring, Strawberry and Current Rivers in Arkansas. M.S. thesis, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas. 118 pp.

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