Sagittunio nasutus explained

Sagittunio nasutus, the eastern pondmussel, is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.^[1]

This species is native to the eastern United States and Ontario, Canada. In Canada, the eastern pondmussel has been adversely affected by zebra mussels, which were introduced near the end of the 1980s.^[2] Originally assessed as endangered due to the existence of only two known Canadian populations,^[2] the eastern pondmussel was placed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act in 2013.^[3] However, a reassessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2017 identified seventeen additional subpopulations,^[4] and the eastern pondmussel was relisted as "special concern" in August 2019.^[3] The population of the lower Great Lakes has limited diversity in certain mitochondrial genetic markers compared to those of the eastern seaboard's population, evidence of a founder effect and suggestive of a post-glacial arrival of Atlantic coast mussels to the Great Lakes by a restricted route.^{[4] [5]} The Walpole Island First Nation protects a population of eastern pondmussels residing in their tribal waters within the delta of Lake St. Clair.^[2]

Like many Unionoid mussels, female eastern pondmussels display a lure to attract their fish hosts (see video, right).

References

• Say, T. (1817). Conchology. - In: Nicholson, W.: American edition of the British Encyclopedia, or, dictionary of arts and sciences comprising an accurate and popular view of the present improved state of human knowledge. First Edition, A-3 - C-6 [= 1-20], pl. [1-4]. page(s): [unpaginated], pl. 4 fig. 1
• Watters, G.T. (2018). A preliminary review of the nominal genus Villosa of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionidae) in North America. Visaya. Suppl. 10: 3-139.

Notes and References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Sagittunio nasutus (Say, 1817). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1056434 on 2021-05-08
2. Web site: COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Eastern Pondmussel Ligumia nasuta in Canada. COSEWIC. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 2007. 7 August 2023. 978-0-662-46023-7.
3. Web site: Eastern Pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta). Species at risk public registry. Government of Canada. 7 August 2023. 13 June 2023.
4. Web site: COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Eastern Pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta) in Canada. COSEWIC. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 2017. 7 August 2023. 978-0-660-09215-7.
5. Scott. Mariah Wild. Begley. Matthew T.. Krebs. Robert A.. Zanatta. David T.. Mitochondrial DNA Variation in the Eastern Pondmussel, Ligumia nasuta (Bivalvia: Unionoida), in the Great Lakes Region. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation. 17. 2. 60-67. 2014. 10.31931/fmbc.v17i2.2014.60-67. free.