Popenaias popeii

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Popenaias popeii
Texas Hornshell.jpg
Four live individuals of Popenaias popeii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Unionida
Family: Unionidae
Genus: Popenaias
Species:
P. popeii
Binomial name
Popenaias popeii
(I. Lea, 1857)
Synonyms [2]
  • Popenaias popei(Lea, 1857)
  • Popenais popeii(Lea, 1857)
  • Unio popeiiLea, 1857

Popenaias popeii, common name the Texas hornshell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Contents

This species is found in Mexico, and in Texas and New Mexico in the United States.

Diet and feeding

Following the parasitism of the glochidia larval stage, juvenile and adult Texas hornshells consume algae, detritus, and bacteria through filter feeding. [3] [4] They utilize their siphons to create a water current that pulls in possible food sources towards the gills, where food is then taken in and undesired particles are filtered out. [4] P. popeii may also use deposit-feeding methods to obtain food, such as using their muscular foot to attain edible particles from the river floor. [4]

Parasitism and predation

There are currently no parasites known to specifically harm P. popeii, but they are parasitized by the organisms commonly known to feed off of Unionidae. [3] : 11  These include parasites such as trematodes, water mites, protists and leeches. [3] : 11  Furthermore, the nymph of Gomphus militaris , a species of dragonfly, was found to parasitize the gills of P. popeii, especially the brooding gills of females that house the glochidia larvae before release. [5] Diversity is seen in predators of freshwater mussels like the Texas hornshell, ranging from turtles to raccoons to birds. [6] : 122  Additionally, humans act as predators, using P. popeii for food or for making goods such as buttons. [3]

Habitat

Being part of the Unionidae, Texas hornshells are found in freshwater, specifically in rivers. To prevent from being carried downstream, P. popeii prefer habitats within the river where they can anchor to material like clay or sand. [3] They are often found under large rocks [7] and near areas where the current is least powerful. [8] Furthermore, their habitats must be within a certain range of salinity, as too high of a salinity concentration can lead to detrimental outcomes including death. [9] P. popeii inhabit areas where there are sufficient numbers of their host fish species for the glochidia larvae to attach to and parasitize. [10] They tend to live in the portions of the river where there are the fewest barriers that would prevent glochidia from finding suitable fish hosts upon release from the female brooding gills. [10]

Life cycle

Texas hornshells do not experience direct development. They go through a developmental stage in which the larvae of P. popeii and the other freshwater mussels are referred to as glochidia. [11] These glochidia are small, often measured in micrometers, and have rows of conical denticles on the inside of each valve. [12] P. popeii glochidia are brooded in the gills of the female for about four to six weeks, classifying them as short-term brooders. [12] Following release of the glochidia from the female, the larvae become obligate parasites of freshwater fishes [11] and require a host within a few days. [13] Laboratory studies have shown that the glochidia can parasitize a wide variety of fishes, but in nature they are primarily found to parasitize three species. [10] These three species, C. carpio, M. congestum, and C. lutrensis, are parasitized by over 99% of P. popeii glochidia [10] and serve as the primary dispersal method for the freshwater mussel. [11] During the time attached to the fish host, the glochidia develop into juveniles. [14] Upon maturation the adult P. popeii are typically immobile and long-lived. [8]

Distribution

Currently, Popenaias popeii is endemic to only a few stretches of rivers in North America. [9] Individuals of the species can be found in the Black River in New Mexico [10] and in portions of the Rio Grande, which extends through New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. [9] P. popeii scarcely populate the Black River, with living populations seen to only inhabit a 14-km stretch of the river. [10] The Rio Grande contains a greater number of river segments with P. popeii, including Pecos River, Devil’s River, and Las Moras Creek. [15] P. popeii and various other freshwater mussels were previously more abundant in areas of the Rio Grande, [15] with 15 species living in the river system in the late 1990s. [16] Due to anthropogenic influence and other factors, the diversity of unionids has been reduced to approximately three species, including P. popeii. [17] Additionally, the population size and area inhabited by P. popeii has drastically decreased, leaving only a 190-kilometre (120 mi) stretch of the Rio Grande that has a high abundance of P. popeii. [15] A portion of the river in Laredo, Texas has the largest population of P. popeii with an estimated 8000+ Texas hornshells living there. [7] The current fragmentation of P. popeii populations is expected to persist due to predicted habitat and climate changes. [11]

Conservation

P. popeii is currently listed as federally endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, [18] [19] joining many other freshwater mussel species that are a conservation concern. [10] The habitats of Texas hornshells, desert aquatic ecosystems, are highly susceptible to the major causes of biodiversity reduction seen globally. [20] P. popeii are integral parts of the aquatic ecology where they are located, [21] drawing support for their protection. Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered classification of P. popeii is accompanied by federal protection, more research efforts are still being carried out to investigate key factors that may be useful in developing effective mitigation plans. The evolutionary differences among P. popeii populations caused by long-term fragmentation are being taken into account, meaning that conservation efforts in Black River and Rio Grande will be different and more individualized. [11] Anthropogenic effects are also of major concern, including water and land usage that accompany the increasing human population. [11] If not properly handled, it is predicted that distribution of P. popeii will not increase as potential habitats are altered or removed by human activity. [11] Other ecological factors such as river management, [15] salinity, [9] and primary host fish management [10] have similarly been found to influence persistence of P. popeii and thus serve as targets for mitigation.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unionidae</span> Family of molluscs

The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids.

<i>Unio crassus</i> Species of bivalve

Unio crassus, the thick shelled river mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unionida</span> Order of bivalves

Unionida is a monophyletic order of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs. The order includes most of the larger freshwater mussels, including the freshwater pearl mussels. The most common families are the Unionidae and the Margaritiferidae. All have in common a larval stage that is temporarily parasitic on fish, nacreous shells, high in organic matter, that may crack upon drying out, and siphons too short to permit the animal to live deeply buried in sediment.

<i>Cyprogenia</i> Genus of bivalves

Cyprogenia is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster mussel</span> Species of bivalve

The oyster mussel is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae. This aquatic bivalve mollusk is native to the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States. It has been extirpated from the states of Georgia and North Carolina. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Hamiota perovalis</i> Species of bivalve

Hamiota perovalis, the orangenacre mucket or orange-nacre mucket, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Lampsilis rafinesqueana, the Neosho mucket or Neosho pearly mussel, is a species of North American freshwater mussel endemic to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birdwing pearlymussel</span> Species of bivalve

The birdwing pearlymussel is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This aquatic bivalve is native to Tennessee and Virginia in the United States. Its range has declined over 90%. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Obovaria retusa</i> Species of bivalve

Obovaria retusa is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its common names include golf stick pearly mussel and ring pink.

<i>Ptychobranchus fasciolaris</i> Species of mollusc

Ptychobranchus fasciolaris is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its common name is kidneyshell.

The triangular kidneyshell is a species of freshwater mussel, in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is endemic to Alabama in the United States, where it is known from several rivers and streams in the Mobile River Basin. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glochidium</span> Larvae of bivalves

The glochidium is a microscopic larval stage of some freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae, the river mussels and European freshwater pearl mussels.

<i>Paetulunio fabalis</i> Species of bivalve

Paetulunio fabalis, the rayed bean, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is the only species in the genus Paetulunio, and was formerly classified in Villosa until a 2018 study.

<i>Epioblasma triquetra</i> Species of bivalve

Epioblasma triquetra, common name the snuffbox mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, a mollusk in the family Unionidae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is a listed as an endangered species in both Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinyrayed pocketbook</span> Species of bivalve

The shinyrayed pocketbook is an endangered species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This species is endemic to the United States in the states of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freshwater mollusc</span>

Freshwater molluscs are those members of the phylum Mollusca which live in freshwater habitats, both lotic such as rivers, streams, canals, springs, and cave streams and lentic such as lakes, ponds, and ditches.

<i>Fusconaia flava</i> Species of bivalve

Fusconaia flava, the Wabash pigtoe, is a freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae. This species occurs in southern Manitoba and Ontario, Canada as well as in the eastern and midwestern United States from North Dakota to New York, south to Mississippi and Texas.

<i>Megalonaias nervosa</i> Species of bivalve

Megalonaias nervosa, the washboard, is a freshwater mussel species in the family Unionidae.

<i>Potamilus fragilis</i> Species of bivalve

Potamilus fragilis, previously Leptodea fragilis, the fragile papershell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. P. fragilis is one of the fastest-growing unionid species and the most abundant unionid species in Lake Erie. Its light-shelled morphology suggests an adaptation to deep water within lakes.

<i>Hamiota australis</i> Species of bivalve

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References

  1. ↑ Bogan, A.E. (1996). "Popenaias popeii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1996: e.T17992A7641578. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T17992A7641578.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Popenaias popeii (Lea, 1857)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Carman, Stephanie M. (23 August 2007). Texas Hornshell Popenaias popeii Recovery Plan (PDF) (Report). Santa Fe, New Mexico: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Conservation Services Division. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. "Wildlife Notes: Texas Hornshell Mussel" (PDF). Photographs by Brian Lang. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Levine, Todd D.; Lang, Brian K.; Berg, David J. (2009). "Parasitism of Mussel Gills by Dragonfly Nymphs". The American Midland Naturalist. 162 (1): 1–6. JSTOR   25602292.
  6. ↑ Coker, R.E.; Shira, A.F.; Clark, H.W.; Howard, A.D. (2 May 1921). "Natural history and propagation of fresh-water mussels". Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries. 37. U.S. Bureau of Fisheries: 76–181. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.33960 . hdl: 2027/loc.ark:/13960/t9377v952 . LCCN   21000069. Document No. 893.
  7. 1 2 Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Miller, Thomas D.; Burlakova, Lyubov E. (2012). "Long-term changes in unionid assemblages in the Rio Grande, one of the World's top 10 rivers at risk". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 22 (2): 206–219. doi:10.1002/aqc.2226.
  8. 1 2 Delaune, Kelbi; Barnes, Matthew A.; Pease, Allison (15 August 2017). eDNA detection of species of greatest conservation need in the Lower Pecos River System (PDF). Texas Tech University Department of Natural Resources Management. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hart, Michael A.; Miller, Tom D.; Randklev, Charles R. (2019). "Salinity tolerance of a rare and endangered unionid mussel, Popenaias popeii (Texas Hornshell) and its implications for conservation and water management". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 170: 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.11.031. PMID   30503989.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Levine, Todd D.; Lang, Brian K.; Berg, David J. (2012). "Physiological and ecological hosts of Popenaias popeii (Bivalvia: Unionidae): laboratory studies identify more hosts than field studies". Freshwater Biology. 57 (9): 1854–1864.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Inoue, Kentaro; Lang, Brian K.; Berg, David J. (2015). "Past climate change drives current genetic structure of an endangered freshwater mussel species". Molecular Ecology. 24 (8): 1910–1926. doi:10.1111/mec.13156. PMID   25782031.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Douglas G.; Lang, Brian K.; Gordon, Mark E. (2003). "Gametogenetic Cycle, Reproductive Anatomy, and Larval Morphology of Popenaias popeii (Unionoida) from the Black River, New Mexico". The Southwestern Naturalist. 48 (3): 333–340. JSTOR   3672876.
  13. ↑ Haag, Wendell R. (2013). "The role of fecundity and reproductive effort in defining life-history strategies of North American freshwater mussels". Biological Reviews. 88 (3): 745–766. doi:10.1111/brv.12028 . Retrieved 22 January 2024– via Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  14. ↑ Barnhart, M. Christopher; Haag, Wendell R.; Roston, William N. (2008). "Adaptations to host infection and larval parasitism in Unionoida". Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 27 (2): 370–394. doi:10.1899/07-093.1 . Retrieved 22 January 2024– via Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Miller, Thomas D.; Perrelli, Mary F. (2018). "Reconstructing historical range and population size of an endangered mollusc: long-term decline of Popenaias popeii in the Rio Grande, Texas". Hydrobiologia. 810: 333–349. doi:10.1007/s10750-015-2551-3.
  16. ↑ Johnson, Richard I. (1999). "Unionidae of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo Del Norte) System of Texas and Mexico". Occasional Papers on Mollusks. 6: 1–66. No. 77. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Karatayev, Vadim A.; May, Marsha E.; Bennett, Daniel L.; Cook, Michael J. (2011). "Biogeography and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Texas: patterns of diversity and threats". Diversity and Distributions. 17 (3): 393–407. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00753.x .
  18. ↑ "Texas Hornshell (Popenaias popeii)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  19. ↑ 83 FR 5720
  20. ↑ Inoue, Kentaro; Levine, Todd D.; Lang, Brian K.; Berg, David J. (2014). "Long-term mark-and-recapture study of a freshwater mussel reveals patterns of habitat use and an association between survival and river discharge". Freshwater Biology. 59 (9): 1872–1883. doi:10.1111/fwb.12389.
  21. ↑ Vaughn, Caryn C.; Hakenkamp, Christine C. (2001). "The functional role of burrowing bivalves in freshwater ecosystems". Freshwater Biology. 46 (11): 1431–1446. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00771.x.


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