SPECIES of THE Month FRAGILE PAPERSHELL like structureoveritsbackiscalledanala. wide arrayofdifferenthabitattypes.Thewing- Fragile papershell Pearls, history, and ecological importance ecological and history, Pearls, CYPRESS BIG AND LAKE CADDO OF MUSSELS F lightly rayed,orstaineddark. their gillswhereeggsandlarvaeareheld.Shellsmaybeclearhorn-yellow, posterior margins pointed posteriorly.Femaleshavedeeperbodiesandmorebluntlyrounded buttons becauseofitsevenlythickandverypearlyshell.Malesaremore Yellow sandshell the fish.Withoutrightkindoffishin the rightplaceattime,freshwatermusselscannotreproduce. are parasitesonfishes.Theyattachtofins orgillsofspecificfishhostsforweeksmonths,usuallywithoutanyharmto MUSSEL REPRODUCTION: RESHWATER RESHWATER Leptodea fragilis pigtoe rare elsewhereinTexas. reported intheBigCypresssince1984andisvery Louisiana pigtoe that is now part of history. freshwater pearls. Pearls found in Caddo Lake in 1909 actually prompted a pearl producerush cultured pearls, some freshwater In mussels addition to may developtheir shells theirthat ownhave gem-qualitybeen used to make buttons and implant nuclei to may mature underoneinchlong. that lilliputs tiny and weight in pounds four and length in foot a nearly to grow that Caddo Lake and the Big Cypress drainage. These include giant washboard mussels in reported kinds different 33 some with Texaswaters, in found been have species etl ult. hn csses r modified are ecosystems When quality. enviro mental of barometers are mussels Freshwater human consumption. animals. other Poor flavor and potential health risks discourage and muskrats, fishes, some by eaten are mussels freshwater turn, In biofilters. and bacteria, algae, organic particles are filter from They the they water…Mother unseen. whereNature’s often ponds and , lakes, streams, rivers, of bottoms the into dig Mussels F YELLOW SANDSHELL water musselpopulationsultimatelyendedthisfisherybythemid-1900s. Iowa andIllinoistosupportextensiveharvesthere. Developmentofplasticanddeclinefresh Texas waters,includingtheBigCypress drainage were toofarfrom themajorbuttonfactoriesin Mississippi Rivervalley. Shellsofseveralspecieswere usedtoproduce buttons.However, most In the1890s,majorfisheriesforfreshwater musselshellsdevelopedthroughout muchofthe BUTTONS SHELL MUSSEL Lake andBigCypress Bayou,butnosimilarpearlrushes haveoccurred since. was unavailableinthosedays).Manyofthesamepearl-producing musselsstillliveinCaddo to riseandplacedmusselsinwaterstoodeepbeeasilyharvested(moderndivingequipment ultimately endedin1913whenadamconstructed downriveratMooringsport causedlakelevels to search Caddoandnearbywatersforpearls.Thisharvestcontinuedthrough 1910and1912,but another ofequalvalue. A majorpearlrush developedandfishermenworkerslefttheirjobs was preparing foruseascatfishbait.Hesoldthepearl$1,500. A fewdayslaterhefound 1909 RUSH In thesummerof1909,oilrigcook,George Murata,foundapearlinCaddoLakemusselhe PEARL LAKE CADDO THE reshwater mussels are important elements of freshwater ecosystems.Over 50 ecosystems.Over of freshwater elements important are mussels reshwater Lampsilis teres (left sideabove) toleratesa Pleurobema riddellii Unlike marinemusselsthathaveplanktoniclarvae,larvalfreshwater(called glochidia) was oftentakentoproducepearl Caddo Lake andtheCypress andSulphur riversofTexas and Louisiana.U.S.Bureau ofF isheries Economic Circular 6. PHOTOGRAPHY &Prepared by of Texas. REFERENCES to providedroomformarsupialpoucheson

Texas Press, Austin. ParksandWildlife pearls inthe1909pearlrush. was oneofthespeciesthattakenfor also calledwhite-eyemusselinthepastand Bankclimber hasnotbeen BANKCLIMBER Plectomerus dombeyanus : Blakely, M.1988.The great pearlrushof’09.Texas FishandGame(May):40-41.

Robert G.Howells, BioStudies. 160 Bearskin Tr., Kerrville, TX

SHELLS FOR CULTURED PEARLS CULTURED FOR SHELLS protected no-harvestmusselsanctuary. press Bayoufrom BobSandlinReservoirdamtoU.S.271isa cies protection (thatwouldpreclude legalharvest).BigCy species are currently candidatesforfederalendangered spe regulations before harvestingmusselsortheirshells.Several shell sizes,andotherregulations apply. Always checkcurrent be takenunderafishinglicense,butbaglimits,minimum In Texas, alimitednumberofmusselsandmusselshellscan largely eliminatedthedemand forshells. Japanese pearloysters(usedtoproduce cultured pearls)that 1990s duetoincreasing mussel rarityanddie-offs among for commercial shellspecies. Thisfisherydeclinedbythelate dreds ofmusselersbegan toharvestTexas riversandstreams to over$10/lb(about$40/large specimen). As aresult, hun among shellbuyersthatdrove pricesforwashboard mussels pearls haddeveloped.Inlate1991,apricewarbroke out mussel shellstoproduce implant nucleitocreate cultured By the1970s–1980s,useofNorth American freshwater

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Kunz, G.F ., andC.H.Stevenson. 1910.Thebookofthepearl.DoverPublications, NY. - alternate fromsidetoside. shell, buttheonlyspecieswithpustulesthat of severalareamusselswithpustulesonits Threehorn wartyback Threehorn W

and athird hasonlybeenreported once. 1913, since found been not has another 1984, since seen been not has mussel rare one age, drain Bayou Cypress Big the In soon. very be will or endangered, threatened, extinct, already are mussels freshwater our of 80% and 50 Between America. North in animals of group disappearing rapidly most the are mussels freshwater result, a As vanish. then and decline to first the among are animals these degrade, conditions environmental or

Obliquaria reflexa artyback BLEUFER purple nacre(shellinteriorlayer)ineasternTexaswaters. Bleufer Potamilus purpuratus is one 78028, n

Howells, R.G.,R.W. Neck,andH.D.Murray. 1996.Freshwater mussels [email protected] WASHBOARD spherical andbaroquepearls. mother-of-pearl buttonsandfreshwater Washboard oftenhasablackexterior,but Megalonaias nervosa

n , May 2009 Shira, A.F. 1913.Themusselfisheriesof

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