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Freshwater mussels, collectively called shellfish, clams, bivalves and unionids, belong to an important group of animals known as molluscs. Mussels occur in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, from small ponds, streams to our largest lakes and rivers. They provide many natural benefits.
Freshwater mussel pearls, exquisite natural gems formed within these unassuming shells, have held a unique place in the region’s heritage, shaping industries and traditions while leaving an indelible mark on the state’s landscapes and waterways.
Witness a remarkable iridescent product of nature as it emerges from the indigenous Washboard mussel. Tennessee’s Official State Gem – the freshwater pearl – is rarely found naturally from these living animals, but grown at the only freshwater pearl-culturing farm operation in the North American continent.
The beautiful pearls come from the indigenous Washboard mussel, which grows in the West Tennessee waters. Located at the halfway point between Memphis and Nashville, the Freshwater Pearl...
Tennessee Freshwater Mussels is divided into three broad subject areas: the biology and diversity of freshwater mussels, the Native American use of freshwater mussels, and the commercial use of freshwater mussels—the button and pearl industries, both cultured and natural.
Tennessee has many rivers and streams with freshwater mussels. They help keep water clean and feed other animals. You can find mussels in the Tennessee River, Clinch River, Cumberland River, Hatchie River, and Harpeth River.
Freshwater Mussels: A Vital Resource Under Threat. Freshwater mussels’ skills of deceit are just the beginning of their amazing story. Even though they spend most of their lives in one place, these animals have outsized impacts on their surroundings.
After conducting a thorough species status review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes placing three freshwater mussels, the Cumberland moccasinshell, Tennessee clubshell, and Tennessee pigtoe, on the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
The Tennessee clubshell is a medium-sized freshwater mussel in the Unionidae family, commonly known as pearly mussels. The species is found in Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, and was once common in the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems.
“The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee documents a tremendously diverse and unique mussel fauna that is rapidly being destroyed by modern development. Parmalee and Bogan set a new standard for state mussel surveys in their authoritative, thorough, and and highly readable account.