Specieswatch: freshwater pearl mussel is threatened by disappearing habitat

Once almost hunted to extinction, they need clean, pebbly rivers and a good population of trout and salmon to surviveThe freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, is our longest lived freshwater species, often exceeding 100 years, and sadly among the rarest. The species was almost hunted to extinction for the pearls they occasionally contained, and is now threatened because the clean, pebbly rivers they live in are disappearing.Swedish research into the much larger populations of mussels in Scandinavia show they can live to 280 years and play a vital role in moderating river flow. They stick out of the riverbed, enabling small trout to thrive by reducing river flow, and they clean the water by filtering out filth. Continue reading...