March's Featured WI Endangered Species: The Winged Mapleleaf Mussel

My thoughts about the Winged Mapleleaf Mussel (Quadrula fragosa) –

From knowing nearly nothing about molluscs, I’ve become a big fan! I’ve learned so many interesting facts through my research and all the time I’ve spent observing and trying to do them justice in my paintings, capturing the subtleties of their patterns and shapes. Here are some facts – sobering, interesting amusing…

Did you know that the Midwest once had the greatest diversity of mussels in the world? Now, 43% of these are endangered, making this group of animals the most in danger of becoming extinct in North America. The Winged Mapleleaf Mussel is only one of many of these nearly lost creatures.

On the lighter side, the names of the different mussels can be quite amusing - monkeyface, sheepnose, elephant ear, wartyback, snuffbox, spectacle case, pistolgrip – like characters in a Mollusc Charles Dickens novel. Their names are so descriptive I can’t help but think that mollusc specialists must be amusing too.

Did you know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have complicated lifecycles? Sperm in the water is taken in through the female’s gills. The larvae, called glochidia, then have to attach to specific host fish – blue and channel catfish - to further develop. When they do, they drop off to mature at the river bottom.

I also didn’t know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels are relatively long-lived – take this college-aged 22 year old found in the St. Croix River!

Although these mussels live in a river, mussels always make me think of shells, and shells the ocean, where all life on Earth began. Let’s work together to ensure that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have a lot more life ahead of them!!

Here’s where you can go, to become as fascinated and charmed by mussels as I am, and find out ways to help save them:

1. To learn some basic facts about the Winged Mapleleaf, go here:

www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page28_9.html dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/wingedmaple.htm
www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/winge_fc.html - I like their slogan: learn, join, protect
www.fws.gov/Midwest/fisheries/topic-wingedmapleleaf.htm

2 To get excellent overviews, explore here:

Many of these sites are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/mussel_recovery.html - My favorite!! Gives an interesting history of how mussels were and are used (cancer research!), as well as lifecycle and conservation efforts, and their important place in the food web
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Facts on diversity & extinction
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/index.html - Amusing mussel names & conservation info
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/ - Great general guide
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Funny mussel names
http://news.fws.gov/mussels.html - Mussels as a cultural legacy, as well as biological and conservation info

One from the National Park Service:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/mussels.htm - Great overview

One from your WI DNR:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/ - Funny mussel names

3. To find out more about what’s being done to help save the Winged Mapleleaf, investigate here:

http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/index.php?id=83&mode=view&page=content - Grass roots organization dedicated to stopping habitat loss and degradation, from dam impoundments which alter the river’s natural flow, dredging and polluted runoff, and ridding the river of the invasive zebra mussel – Donate to this worthy organization!

http://www.macalester.edu/~hornbach/winged.mapleleaf/index.html - A college doing research to help learn about & protect these mussels

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/LaCrosseFisheries/mapleleaf.html - Photos and conservation info; a behind the scenes look on the captive breeding of the winged maple leaf

http://www.peoplelandandwater.gov/fws/03-29-07_fws_hatchery-biologist-chosen.cfm - A story of the hard work and collaboration among biologists from the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, state conservation agencies of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and academic interests to help captive breed the winged maple leaf mussel. The story begins with the USGS’s discovery of the host-fish species of the winged maple leaf mussel, ending with the first-ever captive propagation of the winged mapleleaf. In 2007, they infested 600 channel catfish with an amazing 120,000 glochidia!

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/monthly activities.html - See 2nd story, about the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office educating young people about the dangers of pharmaceuticals in our waters – they cause male fish to produce eggs and prematurely eject the mussel larvae.

4. If you truly become enamored of mussels, you can join others like you in these professional societies:

American Malacological Society http://erato.acnatsci.org/ams/
Conchologists of America http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/home/
Freshwater Mollusc Conservation Society http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/FMCS/

5. I’ll end with some practical suggestions:

If you live near or boat on the St. Croix River, oppose development and dam management that would effect this river! Join your local conservation groups and donate to your local DNR. Vote for politicians who are conservation-conscious! When boating, ensure that you’re not further spreading the zebra mussel (http://www.nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/upload/zebra%20mussels.pdf ). Find out where to drop off your toxins such as medicine, paint, and car oil. Do not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden.

Even if you don’t live near the St. Croix River, remember that what you do effects the wildlife living near you! Act accordingly! Properly dispose of the everyday wildlife toxins you use, such as medicines (in Dane County http://www.meddropdane.org/ ), paint and car oil (http://www.danecountycleansweep.com/ ) Support your WI DNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/taxes.htm) and local conservation groups (http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/ , http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/ ) that are fighting to keep your wild neighbors safe! Help spread the word!!