Villosa iris

Villosa iris, the rainbow mussel or rainbow-shell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Villosa iris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Unionida
Family: Unionidae
Genus: Villosa
Species:
V. iris
Binomial name
Villosa iris
(Lea, 1829)
Synonyms

Unio iris Lea, 1829

Reproduction

All Unionidae are known to use the gills, fins, or skin of a host fish for nutrients during the larval glochidia stage. Female villosa iris attract host fish by imitating a crayfish. Elongate papillae on the mantle margin resemble antennae, legs, and eyes. They also mimic crayfish behavior, moving the papillae independently like legs, and use "tail tucking" motions.[1] Juvenile mussels bury in the sediment just below its surface, and feed on interstitial bacteria and bacterial-sized particles including algae.[2]

Distribution

This species is widely distributed throughout the St. Lawrence, upper Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland River Basins.[3]

Conservation Status

Villosa iris is considered globally secure, but is the focus of conservation concern at the edges of its range in areas like Ontario and Wisconsin. [4] In Canada, V. iris is listed as endangered by COSEWIC and Ontario.[5] In Wisconsin, it is listed as state endangered.[6]

References
  1. "Villosa iris (Lea). The rainbow-shell". Unio Gallery.
  2. Yeager, M. M.; Cherry, D. S. & Neves, R. J. (1994). "Feeding and burrowing behaviors of juvenile rainbow mussels, Villosa iris (Bivalvia:Unionidae)". Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 13 (2): 217–222. doi:10.2307/1467240. JSTOR 1467240. S2CID 87037556.
  3. "Home".
  4. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  5. Canada, Environment and Climate Change (2016-08-10). "Rainbow (Villosa iris): COSEWIC assessment and status report 2015". aem. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  6. "Rainbow Shell (Villosa iris)". dnr.wi.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-04.


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