Hitching a ride Introduction Resources to survive and The West Fork of the White River begins in Lynn, Cummings, K.S. and C.A. Mayer. 1992. Field Guide to IN, near Winchester. This warm water stream Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest. Illinois Natural History meanders throughout Randolph County before Survey Manual 5. 194 pp. thrive entering Delaware County, passing through Muncie Reproduction is a tricky process for our native for approximately nine miles. A majority of this Unio Gallery at Missouri State University freshwater mussels. After fertilization, a female stretch is sampled annually by the Bureau of Water unionid.missouristate.edu/ holds her fertilized eggs in a special area called Quality to assess the health of the White River’s fish, the marsupium. Here, they grow into a larval stage macroinvertebrate and mussel communities. Let’s USFWS. America’s Mussels: Silent Sentinels. www.fws.gov/ called glochidia. In the spring or summer, the take a look at some of the clean water species they midwest/endangered/clams/mussels.html glochidia are released and begin life as parasites, encounter during their biological monitoring. Text contributed by: David Inskeep, Biology teacher at hitching a ride on a host fish. Making this more The waters of the West Fork White River in Delaware complicated, most Unionid mussels are host- Northwestern High School, Kokomo, Indiana; Sarah County are home to many animals that are relatively specific, which means that each mussels species Brichford, Field Technician Howard County Stormwater Freshwater unknown to most people. Beneath the water has to use a specific host fish or the glochidia will The role mussels District; and Laura A. Bowley, Aquatic Biologist at the surface, we expect to see fish, but there is also a not survive. Muncie Sanitary District’s Bureau of Water Quality. wide assortment of aquatic insects, crustaceans play in water quality and mollusks as well. The variety of life in a stream To ensure successful transmission of the parasitic Photos contributed by: Muncie Sanitary District’s Bureau ecosystem is very rich indeed, but these animals and Mussels glochidia to the fish host, female freshwater Mussels are the natural filterers of aquatic systems. of Water Quality. their well-being are often overlooked simply because mussels of the family Unionidae (most of our native Because everything in the waterway goes through we don’t see them when we take a casual glance at a mussels belong to this family) have developed some their gills, they are sensitive to many kinds of WEST FORK WHITE RIVER stream. We must look below the water surface, and astonishing adaptations and strategies. The fleshy pollutants. Sediment in the waterways is especially sometimes below rocks and even into the stream mantle of many females in this family changes harmful, suffocating mussels and interfering with DELAWARE COUNTY, INDIANA bottom, to get a complete picture of life in a stream. important processes needed to survive. Because of during this time to resemble remarkably realistic Check out our other brochures to learn more about mimics of small fish, crayfish, or aquatic insects. these sensitivities, studying these aquatic organisms One inhabitant you might find on the river bottom is the many creatures that call White River home. The female manipulates the lure, enticing an is important for assessing the health of our water the freshwater mussel. Although freshwater mussels attack from the host fish. This allows glochidia to resources. Their presence in a water body is generally a are distributed all over the world, the greatest . positive indicator of overall water quality and health. be propelled toward the fish’s gills and fins where abundance and varietyPollution are foundHome in Northis whereHow can America. theseIntroduction What exactly is ResourcesIntroduction Resources The waters of West Fork White River are home to a wide Voshell, J. Reese. Illustrated by Amy Bartlett Wright. animals live Indiana has over 35,600a miles macroinvertebrate? of rivers and streams, as Simon, T., & Tomelleri, J. (2011). Fishes of Indiana: A Field they will then attach. The glochidia then attempt to Impacts the habitat is assortment of animals. Some of them are fairly easy to 2002. A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North well as thousands of acres of lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Freshwater mussels are fascinating creatures Aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates include crayfish, Guide. Bloomington,see, like Indiana: raccoons, Indiana turtles, University and fish. Press. But by far the most America. The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, A clean stream has very few impacts from pollution. Like other animals, fish are constantly searching for food, Altogether, these waterways are home to 227 different underwater? mussels, snails, worms, leeches, and numerous insects. abundant animals in the creek are living on the stream This does not mean the water is always clean, only protection from predators, and a place to raise their species of fish ranging in size from huge catfish to tiny Text & Photos: Sarah Brichford, Howard County Blacksburg, Virginia. 442 pp. Aquatic refers to the stream environment where these bottom, where they are not easily seen. These animals are that pollution may occur but the impacts are not young. Clean streams offer high-qualityMacroinvertebrates, habitat for like all all animals, requireminnows. oxygen Indiana’s landscape offers many different Stormwater District, Kokomo, Indiana and Drew Mussels of different species develop different shell animals live; benthic refers to the bottom of the stream; called aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates, and they are at Bouchard Jr., R. William. 2004. Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the attach to the fish’s gills and fins. long lasting. Pollution interferes with the needs of these needs. to live. Most types that live fully underwaterhabitats use gills for fish, including cold waters in the Great Lakes Holloway, Aquatic Biologist at the Muncie Sanitary with surprising life histories, including intriguing macro means these animals are visible with the naked home among the rocks and logs on the bottom of streams. Upper Midwest: Identification Manual for Students, Citizen Monitors, stream fish: food, protection, and reproduction. to obtain oxygen dissolved in the water. Thedrainages gills to the north and warm waters in the Wabash and District’s Bureau of Water Quality are continuously moved back and forth to “capture” eye; and invertebrate means these are animals without and Aquatic Resource Professionals. Water Resources Center, White River drainages ina backbone.central and Aquatic southern macroinvertebratesIndiana. This develop Macroinvertebrates are interesting for several reasons. FOOD oxygen. Other individuals utilize breathingvaried tubes landscape that has a lot to offer for different fish. Review: Greg Bright, Commonwealth BioMonitoring, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. 208 pp. shapes and sizes. Clean streams in Indiana have a Sediment extend from their body up to the water surface. Still underwater. Some, like mussels and leeches, never leave Their specific behaviors include being laid-back net Indianapolis, Indiana Many small fish eat aquatic insects, such the water habitat. In contrast, insect macroinvertebrates builders, free-floating opportunists, and aggressive Merritt, R.W. and K.W. Cummins, Eds. 1996. An Introduction to the adaptations for Soilsurvival. erosion is a big others get their oxygen by attaching an airThe bubble West Fork of the White River begins in Lynn, IN, near as the nymph form of the mayfly or Jay Beugly, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana to the body for an oxygen supply while they are use the water as a nursery, developing underwater for hunters. These animals are busy feeding themselves Aquatic Insects of North America, Third Edition. Kendall//Hunt problem in Indiana’s rivers caddisfly. A good supply of these Winchester. This warm weekswater streamor even meanders years before throughout they emerge from the water from a range of food in the stream and, in turn, they are AQUATIC swimming, similar to a diver with a scuba tank. Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa. 862 pp. and streams. Sediment insects means the small fish will have Randolph County beforeas entering an adult. Delaware The adult County, phase is relatively short, lasting an important food source for fish. Many types of fishing diverse mussel community with mussels of all ages covers the stream bottom plenty to eat. In turn, larger fish eat the passing through Muncie for approximately nine miles. A After several weeks attached to the host fish, from only a few hours to a month or so. For example, a flies and baits look like macros. Macroinvertebrates are Hoosier Riverwatch. Spring 2012. Volunteer Stream Monitoring Training and the gravel areas fish majority of this stretch is sampled annually by the Bureau MACROINVERTEBRATES smaller fish. White River is also full of dragonfly nymph spends months developing underwater also good indicators of the overall health of a stream. The Manual. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indianapolis, need to find food and lay crayfish, which is a favorite foodThis of beetle carries an air bubbleof Water Quality to assess the health of White River’s fish Stream Fish before crawling out of the water to spend a few weeks as number and variety of macros present tells us about the Indiana. 130 pp. (www.in.gov/idem/riverwatch/) eggs. Neither the insects sunfish and bass. for oxygen supply. community. Let’s take aa look winged at some adult of that the will clean lay water the eggs for a new generation. quality of both the water and the nearby surroundings. eaten by fish nor the fish species they encounter during their biological monitoring. the glochidia resemble tiny adult mussels. The (max age for mussels in this area is 20-25 years), WESTText: FORKSarah Brichford, WHITE Howard County RIVER Stormwater District, Kokomo, WEST FORK WHITE RIVER eggs can survive when The West Fork of the White River begins in Lynn, IN, near Indiana and Samuel J.