Links to related WWW sites

Information on mussels of the Big Darby Creek Watershed

 

Why mussels and the Darby Creeks?

Darby Creeks mussel species list

Mussel links

 

Why mussels and the Darby Creeks?

 

The occurrence of a wide variety of mussels is one reason the Big Darby Creek is so outstanding and why its protection is so important.  The Big Darby Creek watershed has recorded an exceptional list of 44 mussel species, among the best in the Midwest for a watershed of its size (about 557 square miles).  A remarkable 23 Darby species are rare or declining elsewhere in Ohio.  Of these, two species - the northern riffleshell and clubshell - are federally endangered species.   Some species, such as the kidneyshell, are common in the Big Darby watershed, but less common and declining in the rest of Ohio. 

 

"Big Darby Creek, for its size, has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in North America" (Watters 1994).*

 

Because they live most of their lives in the same place, or very close to it, mussels make good indicators of water and stream habitat quality.  Habitat alteration (such as from channelization, levees, removal of riparian vegetation, gravel mining) and pollution (sewage, septic tanks, agricultural and urban stormwater runoff) are leading causes, but the likely causes for declines are combinations of all of these.  Mussels are the most endangered group of animals in North America.  Over half of Ohio's mussel species are in trouble - and those in the Big Darby Creek watershed are no exception.  Where the mussels are gone, the Darby Creeks are of lower quality, and we lose a major portion of our Ohio natural heritage. 

 

Addressing trends in Big Darby watershed mussel communities, in 2004, Ohio EPA stated "Thirty percent of the species that have been observed in recent surveys are now found in very few locations and low abundance."**

 

If you find a live mussel or shell, leave them for others to enjoy!  While mussels are sometimes common in parts of the Big Darby watershed, they are declining in numbers throughout Ohio.  It is illegal to remove live animals or dead shells without a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  A federal permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also may be required.

 

 Mussel species of the Big Darby Creek Watershed

Common Name

Scientific Name

Status

Comments

Photo link Links

1

black sandshell

Ligumia recta

OT

Rare, lower Big Darby only

Back sandshell  (c) 2004 DCA

2

clubshell

Pleurobema clava

OE,FE

Last large population in Little Darby

http://ecos.fws.gov/servlet/SpeciesProfile?spcode=F01D

3

creek heelsplitter

Lasmigona compressa

OSI

Uncommon, upper half of basin

4

cylindrical papershell

Anodontoides ferussacianus

Widespread, headwaters

5

deertoe

Truncilla truncata

OSI

Uncommon, low and mid Big Darby

6

elephant ear

Elliptio crassidens

OE

Rare, lower and middle Big Darby

7

elktoe

Alasmidonta marginata

OSI

Widespread, common Big Darby

8

fat mucket

Lampsilis radiata luteola

Widespread, abundant

9

fawnsfoot

Truncilla donaciformis

OT

Very rare, lower Big Darby only

10

fluted-shell

Lasmigona costata

Widespread, common

11

fragile papershell

Leptodea fragilis

Common lower half of Big Darby

12

giant floater

Pyganodon grandis

Widespread, uncommon

13

kidneyshell

Ptychobranchus fasciolaris

OSI

Widespread, abundant

14

lilliput

Toxolasma parvus

Rare, upper half of watershed

15

longsolid

Fusconaia maculata

OE

Extirpated, one record

16

mapleleaf

Quadrula quadrula

Fairly common, lower half Big Darby

17

mucket

Actinonaias ligamentina

Extirpated?, lower half of Big Darby

18

northern riffleshell

Epioblasma rangiana

OE, FE

Very rare, now lower half Big Darby

http://ecos.fws.gov/servlet/SpeciesProfile?spcode=F02Z

19

Ohio pigtoe

Pleurobema cordatum

OE

Extirpated, 2 records

20

paper pondshell

Utterbackia imbecillis

Rare, all but lower Big Darby

21

pimpleback

Quadrula pustulosa

Rare, lower Big Darby

22

pink heelsplitter

Potamilus alatus

Now fairly common, Big Darby

23

pink papershell

Potamilus ohiensis

Rare, lower half of Big Darby

24

pistolgrip

Tritogonia verrucosa

Common, lower half of Big Darby

25

plain pocketbook

Lampsilis ventricosa

Widespread, common

26

pondhorn

Uniomerus tetralasmus

OT

Extirpated?, Hellbranch Run only

27

purple wartyback

Cyclonaias tuberculata

OSI

Uncommon, lower half Big Darby

28

rabbitsfoot

Quadrula cylindrica

OE, FT

Pop. in Little Darby, almost gone Big Darby

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/clams/rabbitsfoot/index.html

www.darbycreeks.org/010700Creaturefeaturerabbitsfootmussel.htm

29

rainbow

Villosa iris

Common upper half of basin

30

rayed bean

Villosa fabilis

OE, FE

Middle Big Darby; was widespread

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/clams/rayedbean/index.html

31

round hickorynut

Obovaria subrotunda

Rare, lower half of Big Darby

32

round pigtoe

Pleurobema sintoxia

OSI

Uncommon, lower half of Big Darby

33

salamander mussel

Simpsonaias ambigua

OSI

Possibly extirpated

34

sharp-ridged pocketbook

Lampsilis ovata

OE

Extirpated, 1 record

35

slippershell

Alasmidonta viridis

Rare, upper basin

Slippershell  (c) 2003 DCA

36

snuffbox

Epioblasma triquetra

OE, FE

Rare, widespread but sporadic

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/clams/snuffbox/index.html

37

spike

Elliptio dilatata

Widespread and abundant

38

squawfoot/ creeper

Strophitus undulatus

Widespread, fairly common

39 threehorn wartyback Obliquaria reflexa OT Rare, lower Big Darby

40

threeridge

Amblema plicata

Widespread, sporadic

41

Wabash pigtoe

Fusconaia flava

Widespread and common

42

washboard

Megalonaias nervosa

OE

Rare stray, lower Big Darby

43

wavy-rayed lampmussel

Lampsilis fasciola

OSI

Widespread, common

44

white heelsplitter

Lasmigona complanata

Common lower Big Darby

Status:  FE - Federal endangered;  OE - Ohio endangered;  OSI - Ohio special interest;  OT - Ohio threatened

compiled by John Tetzloff 4/2003    Revised November, 2013

*    Watters, G. Thomas. 1994.  Unionidae of the Big Darby Creek system in central Ohio, USA.  Malacological Review 27: 99-107, and Watters, G. Thomas. 1998.  Freshwater mussel surveys of the Big Darby Creek system in central Ohio.  Ohio Biological Survey Notes 1: 19-24.

**    Ohio EPA.  2004.  Biological and Water Quality Study of the Big Darby Creek Watershed, 2001/2002.  Ohio EPA, Columbus.  pg.  B.7.71.

Mussel links

The Columbus Zoo Freshwater Mussel Facility

Freshwater Mussel Conservation at the Columbus Zoo

The Freshwater Mussels of Ohio

Freshwater Mussels:  Ohio's Panther

The Ohio State University, Division of Mollusks

Federal endangered species

Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest  Photos

Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society

North American Freshwater Mussels

Unio Gallery at Southwest Missouri State University Excellent photos

Mussel links compiled by the Illinois Natural History Survey

North Carolina Atlas of Freshwater Mussels  Photos and identification key

 

Mussels of the Big Darby Creek Watershed - photos

Fish of the Big Darby Creek Watershed  Page 1  Page 2

Fishes of Ohio's Scenic Rivers - ODNR

Watershed map and Topographic map of the Big Darby Creek Watershed