The fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel or fine-rayed pigtoe (Fusconaia cuneolus) is a species of bivalve in the Unionidae

Unionidae

Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, naiads, or simply as unionids.The range of distribution for this family is world-wide...

 family. It is native to Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 in the United States, where its population has declined severely. It is a federally listed endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 of the United States.

Like other freshwater mussels, this species reproduces by releasing its larvae, or glochidia

Glochidium

The glochidium is a special microscopic larval stage of larger freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae, the river mussels and European freshwater pearl mussels....

, into the water where they make their way into the bodies of fish. There they develop into juvenile mussels. Fish hosts for this mussel include fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas); river chub

Nocomis micropogon

The common name of Nocomis micropogon is the river chub. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee....

 (Nocomis micropogon); stoneroller

Campostoma anomalum

-Introduction:This is a description of a monitoring plan that has been laid out for a commonly known species Campostoma anomalum or Central Stoneroller...

 (Campostoma anomalum); telescope shiner

Notropis telescopus

Telescope Shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.Notropis telescopus is primarily found in a small range of waters located in the Southeastern Region of the United States. There is very little published record of the research and management involving the Telescope shiner...

 (Notropis telescopus); Tennessee shiner (Notropis leuciodus); white shiner (Luxilus albeolus); whitetail shiner

Cyprinella galactura

The common name of Cyprinella galactura is the Whitetail shiner. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee.-External links:FishBase:...

 (Cyprinella galactura); and the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).

There is only one large population which is located in the Clinch River

Clinch River

The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...

.

External links

• Bogan, A.E. 1996. Fusconaia cuneolus. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 September 2011.