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Epioblasma triquetra (Rafinesque, 1820) | Snuffbox |
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SynonymsPlagiola triquetra Basis for ListingThe snuffbox is the most widespread member of the genus and the only one not presumed extinct (Johnson 1978). It historically inhabited the Mississippi River in Minnesota (Grier 1922), but the only recent collections of this species have come from the St. Croix River, where it is confined to a small reach between Taylors Falls and Franconia. This isolated snuffbox population is possibly the largest in the entire upper Mississippi River drainage, and therefore in need of protection. The snuffbox was listed as a threatened species in Minnesota in 1996 and was proposed for federal endangered status in November 2010. DescriptionThe shell of the snuffbox is up to 6.4 cm (2.5 in.) long and thick for its size, and it has a sharply angled posterior ridge, and a flat, finely grooved posterior slope. The beak sculpture consists of a few fine, double-looped lines, but it is usually obscure. The snuffbox is sexually dimorphic, with the females having a more elongate shell with a swollen posterior and serrated posterior shell margin. The males are somewhat triangular. The shell is yellowish with greenish-blue rays, which sometimes appear blotchy. The pseudocardinal and lateral teeth are well developed, and the inside of the shell is white. Male snuffbox mussels resemble deertoe mussels (Truncilla truncata), but deertoe mussels are more triangular and have broken V-shaped or zigzag markings that turn into distinctive rays with age. The female snuffbox resembles the elktoe (Alasmidonta marginata), but the snuffbox has a thicker shell and more well-developed teeth than the elktoe. HabitatThe snuffbox prefers rivers with steady current and sand and gravel substrates (Cummings and Mayer 1992). Biology / Life HistoryMussels are long-lived animals. Members of many species may live for several decades and in some instances, a century or more. They spend most of their lives buried in the bottom sediments of permanent water bodies, and often live in multi-species communities called mussel beds (Sietman 2003). Conservation / ManagementThe continued existence of the snuffbox is threatened by non-point and point source water and sediment pollution. Recovery efforts are threatened by the infestation of non-native zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, areas that would otherwise be targeted for reintroductions. Zebra mussels can attach themselves in large numbers to the shells of native mussels, eventually causing death by suffocation. One area has been identified as an exception and is discussed in Davis' (2007) plan for mussel reintroductions between St Anthony Falls and Lake Pepin. Conservation Efforts in MinnesotaA 10-year statewide mussel survey initiated by the Minnesota DNR in 1999 resulted in a better understanding of the snuffbox mussel's ecology and current status in Minnesota. Propagation efforts funded by the National Park Service are now underway and juveniles are being released into the gorge area of Mississippi River Pool 2 in downtown St. Paul, where habitat conditions have dramatically improved over the past decade. |