This 160 acre area is 70 percent timber, the remainder of the area is open land and is managed with fire and food plots. It offers access to the South Fabius River but there is no boat ramp.
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Scientific Name
Potamilus alatus
Family
Unionidae (freshwater mussels) in the phylum Mollusca
Description
The pink heelsplitter has a large dorsal wing and purple lining, which makes identification of this widespread mussel easy. It is most most common in the Osage, Meramec, and Salt river basins. Also in the Mississippi River, its tributaries north of St. Louis, and our southeastern rivers.
Externally, the shell of the pink heelsplitter is large, laterally compressed, elongate to rectangular, with a large dorsal wing; the anterior end is sharply rounded; the posterior end is broadly rounded. The umbo (beak) is flattened and only slightly raised above the hinge line. The periostracum (thin outer layer) is brown to greenish brown, becoming darker with age; juveniles often have faint green rays that later fade.
Inside the shell, the beak cavity is shallow; the pseudocardinal teeth are relatively thin, small, and rough; the lateral teeth are high and moderately long, bladelike, and straight to slightly curved; the nacre (mother-of-pearl layer) is purple to pinkish purple, sometimes tinged with copper.
For a fuller introduction to Missouri’s native freshwater mussels, and to learn the terms for their anatomy, see their group page.
Similar species: The white heelsplitter is compressed and rounded with a white nacre. The pink papershell has a thinner shell, is less inflated, is not rounded posteriorly, and has reduced teeth. The bleufer is more inflated with a deeper beak cavity and a squared posterior end.
Other Common Names
Freshwater Mussel
Size
Adult length: 3–8 inches.
Where To Find
Widespread; most common in Osage, Meramec, and Salt river basins. Also in the Mississippi River, its tributaries north of St. Louis, and our southeastern rivers.
Habitat and Conservation
Margins of medium to large streams with mixed sand and mud or sand, gravel, and cobble. It can be found in almost any type of substrate in slow to swiftly moving water, and it sometimes adapts to lakes and river-lakes.
Food
Freshwater mussels consume algae, bacteria, and fine particles of decaying organic matter. They extract nutrients and oxygen from water drawn into the body cavity through a specialized structure called the incurrent siphon; sediment, undigested food, and waste (called pseudofeces) are expelled through the excurrent siphon.
Status
Common, although degrading water quality and watershed destabilization interfere with the survival of this and all freshwater mussels.
Life Cycle
Life Cycle
Males release sperm directly into water. Females downstream siphon sperm into the gill chamber, where eggs are fertilized. Eggs mature into larvae (called glochidia), which discharge into the water and attach to host fish — in this species, the freshwater drum. The tiny mussel eventually breaks away and floats to the bottom of the stream, and the cycle repeats.
Human Connections
Mussels play important roles in maintaining the health of Missouri’s water resources:
- As food for fish, they are important for Missouri’s fisheries. Small mammals and some birds eat them, as well.
- They filter algae, bacteria, and other particles from the water, improving water quality and cycling nutrients and energy in streams and lakes. Clean water is necessary for people and nature.
- Because mussels are sensitive to habitat disturbance and pollution, they are good indicators of the overall health of aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
The shells of several types of mussels were an important resource historically for button manufacture. Some species are still commercially important in the cultured pearl and jewelry industries. The purple shell made it undesirable for the button manufacturers, but it is of value to the polished chip industry.
Ecosystem Connections
Native freshwater mussels provide vital functions in aquatic ecosystems:
- They are an important food source for many species of fish, wildlife, and other invertebrates.
- Their shells, both while the animal is alive and after it dies, provide habitat for other organisms.
- As filter feeders, individual mussels can filter a significant amount of water per day, but not all of what they remove is eaten. What they don’t eat is combined with mucus into packets. These pseudofeces packets are eaten by some fish and invertebrates.
Freshwater mussels depend on healthy populations of certain types of fish to complete their life cycle. Although as larvae they temporarily parasitize these fish, the harm to the fish is negligible.
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Media Gallery
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Credit
Jim Rathert
Right to Use
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
The pink heelsplitter has a large dorsal wing and purple lining, which makes identification of this widespread mussel easy. As with other aquatic animals, checking the distribution is helpful for IDs, since they are not all found statewide.
Credit
Julianna Schroeder
Right to Use
Photo by Julianna Schroeder, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Similar Species
Similar Species
Where to See Species
About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri
Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.
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