Lampsilis streckeri
Lampsilis streckeri, the speckled pocketbook, is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is endemic to Arkansas in the United States, where it is threatened by habitat loss. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Lampsilis streckeri | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Unionida |
Family: | Unionidae |
Genus: | Lampsilis |
Species: | L. streckeri |
Binomial name | |
Lampsilis streckeri Frierson, 1927 | |
This mussel is about 8 centimeters long. It is dark yellow to brown and has chevron-shaped spots and chainlike rays. It is sexually dimorphic, the females being more rounded at the posterior.[2]
When this species was placed on the Endangered Species List it was limited to a six-mile stretch of the Middle Fork of the Little Red River in Arkansas. The damming of the river to form the Greers Ferry Reservoir changed the hydrology of the river, altering the habitat.[2]
Since its listing several additional populations have been discovered in the river.[3]
References
- Bogan, A. E. (2000). "Lampsilis streckeri". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2000: e.T11244A3265303. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T11244A3265303.en.
- "Endangered status for Speckled Pocketbook, (Lampsilis streckeri)" (PDF). Federal Register. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. February 28, 1989.
- "Speckled Pocketbook (Lampsilis streckeri Frierson 1927) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service. January 2007.