Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Western Ridged Mussel

Gonidea angulata

(I. Lea, 1838)

Western Ridged Mussel

G3Vulnerable Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
VulnerableIUCN
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.109629
Element CodeIMBIV19010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
IUCNVulnerable
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassBivalvia
OrderUnionoida
FamilyUnionidae
GenusGonidea
Synonyms
Anodonta randalliTrask, 1855
Other Common Names
Gonidée des Rocheuses (FR) Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel (EN)
Concept Reference
Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-01-10
Change Date1997-12-01
Edition Date2024-01-10
Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J., rev. B. Young (2022); rev. T. Cornelisse (2024)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
Although the this species has disappeared from the southern portion of its range, it remains fairly widespread but is declining in terms of area occupied and number of sites and individuals; habitat continues to be threatened by water management, agricultural runoff, and urbanization.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in California, USA, north to southern British Columbia, Canada, and east to southern Idaho and northern Nevada, USA (Burch 1975, Taylor 1981, Blevins 2020). In Canada, it remains in the Okanagan River Basin (Stanton et al. 2012, Blevins et al. 2020). Reports for Colorado were found to be misinterpreted California localities (Cordeiro 2007).
Occurrences Comments
This species was known from an estimated 99 watersheds (which approximate occurrences) as of a 2015 (Blevins et al. 2017). There were multiple population die-offs between 2015 and 2020 and, as of 2020, the species was known from 47 sites of 87 (out of a potential 171) resurveyed historical sites (Blevins et al. 2020). As such, the species is known from an estimated 47-131 occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation associated with dams and other waterway barriers, channelization, suction dredge mining, and dredging operations; pollutants in wastewater discharges, including from runoff of silt, fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants from land disturbance activities, such as development and agriculture implemented without adequate measures to control runoff; and habitat alteration due to climate change, including increased water temperatures and drought (Blevins et al. 2020; USFWS 2021).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species inhabits creeks and rivers of all sizes and can be found on substrates varying from firm mud to coarse particles; is rarely found in lakes or reservoirs (Frest and Johannes 1995, Taylor 1981).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN2
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS2Yes
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS1Yes
OregonS2Yes
CaliforniaS2Yes
WashingtonS2Yes
IdahoS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.1.2 - Run-offRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

—

Roadless Areas (4)
California (3)
AreaForestAcres
Blue Creek Rare ISix Rivers National Forest12,134
SiskiyouKlamath National Forest54,039
Tom MartinKlamath National Forest9,031
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain SheepWallowa-Whitman National Forest19,457
References (55)
  1. Blevins, B., S. Jepsen, J. Brim Box, D. Nez, J. Howard, A. Maine, and C. O’Brien. 2017. Extinction risk of western North American freshwater mussels: <i>Anodonta nuttalliana, </i>the<i> Anodonta oregonensis/kennerlyi </i>clade<i>, Gonidea angulata, </i>and<i> Margaritifera falcata</i>. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation 20: 71-88.
  2. Blevins, E, S. Jepsen, and S. Selvaggio. 2020. Petition to list the Western Ridged Mussel <i>Gonidea angulata</i> (Lea, 1838) as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. 43 pp.
  3. Brim Box, J., D. Wolf, J. Howard, C. O'Brien, D. Nez, and D. Close. 2003. The distribution and status of freshwater mussels in the Umatilla River system. Report project no. 2002-037-00 prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Portland, Oregon. 72 pp.
  4. Brim Box, J., J. Howard, D. Wolf, C. O'Brien, D. Nez, and D. Close. 2006. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) of the Umatilla and Middle Fork John Day Rivers in eastern Oregon. Northwest Science, 80(2): 95-107.
  5. Burch, J.B. 1975a. Freshwater unionacean clams (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of North America. Malacological Publications: Hamburg, Michigan. 204 pp.
  6. Chamberlin, R.V. and D.T. Jones. 1929. A descriptive catalog of the Mollusca of Utah. Bulletin of the University of Utah, [Biological Series 1(1)] 19(4): 1-203.
  7. Cordeiro, J. 2007. Confirmed absence of a relict population of <i>Gonidea angulata</i> (Lea, 1838) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Colorado. American Malacological Bulletin, 22: 165-167.
  8. COSEWIC. 2003. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Rocky mountain ridged mussel <i>Gonidea angulata</i> in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa, Canada. 29 pp.
  9. Dall, W. H. 1908. Notes on <i>Gonidea angulata</i> Lea, a freshwater bivalve, with description of a new variety. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 4:499-500.
  10. Davis, E. 2008. Freshwater mussel abundance, distribution, and habitat preference in two Northern California rivers within Karuk Ancestral Territory. B.A.Thesis, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA.
  11. Flecksenstein, John (Zoologist, Washington Natural Heritage Program). 1997. Review and annotation of fish and mussel watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. September 1997.
  12. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS). 2023. The 2023 checklist of freshwater bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida) of the United States and Canada. Considered and approved by the Bivalve Names Subcommittee October 2023. Online: https://molluskconservation.org/MServices_Names-Bivalves.html
  13. Frest, T.J. and E.J. Johannes. 1995a. Freshwater Mollusks of the Upper Klamath Drainage, Oregon. Final report to the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, 821 SE 14th, Portland, Oregon 97214. Contract #ORFO 092094. 68 pp. plus appendices.
  14. Frest, T.J. and E.J. Johannes. 2000b. A baseline mollusk survey of southwestern Oregon, with emphasis on the Rogue and Umpqua River drainages. Report for the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland, Oregon. Deixis Consultants, Seattle, Washington. 403 pp.
  15. Gangloff, M.M. and D.L. Gustafson. 2000. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) of Montana. Central Plains Archaeology, 8(1): 121-130.
  16. Graf, D.L. and K.S. Cummings. 2021. A 'big data' approach to global freshwater mussel diversity (Bivalvia: Unionoida), with an updated checklist of genera and species. Journal of Molluscan Studies 87(1):1-36.
  17. Henderson, J. 1924. Mollusca of Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. University of Colorado Studies 13(2): 65-223.
  18. Henderson, J. 1936. The non-marine Mollusca of Oregon and Washington- supplement. University of Colorado Studies, 23(4): 251-280.
  19. Henderson, J.B. 1929a. Non-marine mollusca of Oregon and Washington. University of Colorado Studies 17(2): 47-190.
  20. Hovingh, P. 2004. Intermountain freshwater mollusks, USA (<i>Margaritifera</i>, <i>Anodonta</i>, <i>Gonidea</i>, <i>Valvata</i>, <i>Ferrissia</i>): geography, conservation, and fish management implications. Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist, 2: 109-135.
  21. Howard, A. D. 1915. Some exceptional cases of breeding among the Unionidae. The Nautilus 29:4-11.
  22. Howard, J. 2010. Sensitive freshwater mussel surveys in the Pacific southwest region: Assessment of conservation status. Report prepared for USDA Forest Service, Vallejo, California. 57 pp.
  23. Howard, J.K. 2008. Strategic inventory of freshwater mussels in the northern Sierra Nevada province. Repoort prepared by Western Mollusk Sciences (San Francisco, California) for USDA Forest Service, Vallejo, California. 45 pp. + app.
  24. Jepsen, S., C. LaBar, and J. Zarnoch. 2010. <i>Gonidea angulata</i> profile. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 19 pp.
  25. Jones, D.T. 1940. Recent collections of Utah Mollusca, with extralimital records from certain Utah cabinets. Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, 17: 33-45.
  26. Krall, M. 2010. Freshwater mussel abundance and habitat in the Klamath River of Northern California. Thesis. Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington. 36 pp.
  27. Lefevre, G. and W. T. Curtis. 1912. Studies on the reproduction and artificial propagation of fresh-water mussels. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries 30:102-201.
  28. Lippincott, K. and L.B. Davis. 2000. A prehistoric freshwater mussel collection from the Schmitt Chert Mine Site (24BW599) near Three Forks, Montana. Central Plains Archaeology, 8: 131-142.
  29. Lysne, S. 2009. A Guide to Southern Idaho's Freshwater Mollusks. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 43 pp.
  30. Lysne, S.J. and W.H. Clark. 2009. Mollusc survey of the lower Bruneau River, Owyhee County, Idaho, U.S.A. American Malacological Bulletin 27:167-172.
  31. Master, L. L. 1996. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Progress Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. 60 pp.
  32. Master, L. L. and A. L. Stock. 1998. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. 36 pp.
  33. Metcalfe-Smith, J.L. and B. Cudmore-Vokey. 2004. National general status assessment of freshwater mussels (Unionacea). National Water Research Institute / NWRI Contribution No. 04-027. Environment Canada, March 2004. Paginated separately.
  34. MolluscaBase eds. 2024. MolluscaBase. Accessed at https://www.molluscabase.org
  35. Moyle, P., and J. Bacon. 1969. Distribution and abundance of molluscs in a fresh water environment. Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science 35(2/3):82-85.
  36. Nedeau, E., A.K. Smith, and J. Stone. [2005]. Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Mussel Workgroup, Vancouver, Washington. 45 pp.
  37. O'Brien, C., D. Nez, D. Wolf, and J. Brim Box. 2013. Reproductive biology of <i>Anodonta californiensis</i>, <i>Gonidea angulata</i>, and <i>Margaritifera falcata</i> (Bivalvia: Unionoida) in the Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon. Northwest Science 87(1):59-72.
  38. Oliver, G.V. and W.R. Bosworth, III. 1999. Rare, imperiled, and recently extinct or extirpated mollusks of Utah. Report ot the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 99-29, Salt Lake City, Utah. 231 pp.
  39. Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Mussel Workgroup. 2007. Review of mussel watershed distribution maps for Gonidea angulata, Anodonta californiensis, and Anodonta wahlametensis. Web: http://www.fws.gov/columbiariver/musselwg.htm
  40. Scudder, G.G.E. 1996. Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates of British Columbia: priorities for inventory and descriptive research. Research Branch British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Program, and Wildlife Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. Victoria, British Columbia, Working Paper 09/1996.206 pp.
  41. Stagliano, D. 2010. Freshwater mussels in Montana: Comprehensive results from 3 years of SWG funded surveys. Report prepared for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, Montana. 75 pp.
  42. Stanton, L., R. Lauzier, S. MacConnachie, L. Nield, S. Pollard, J. Heron, and S. Davies. 2012. Exploratory surveys and directed studies of Rocky Mountain ridged mussel (<i>Gonidea angulata</i> Lea, 1839) in British Columbia. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 3003: viii + 63 p.
  43. Strayer, D. 1983. The effects of surface geology and stream size on freshwater mussel (Bivalvia, Unionidae) distribution in southeastern Michigan, U.S.A. Freshwater Biology 13:253-264.
  44. Strayer, D. L. 1999. Use of flow refuges by unionid mussels in rivers. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 18(4):468-476.
  45. Strayer, D. L., and J. Ralley. 1993. Microhabitat use by an assemblage of stream-dwelling unionaceans (Bivalvia) including two rare species of <i>Alasmidonta</i>. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 12(3):247-258.
  46. Taylor, D.W. 1981b. Freshwater mollusks of California: a distributional checklist. California Fish and Game 67(3):140-163.
  47. Taylor, D.W. and G.R. Smith. 1981 [1982]. Pliocene molluscs and fishes from northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, The University of Michigan 25(18):339-413.
  48. Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.
  49. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2021. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Findings for Three Species. Federal Register 86(141):40186-40189.
  50. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. National Listing Workplan. Online. Available: https://www.fws.gov/project/national-listing-workplan
  51. Van der Schalie, H. 1938. The naiad fauna of the Huron River in southeastern Michigan. Miscellaneous Publication of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 40:7-78.
  52. Vannote, R.L. and G.W. Minshall. 1982. Fluvial processes and local lithology controlling abundance, structure, and composition of mussel beds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 79: 4103-4107.
  53. Watters, G. T. 1992. Unionids, fishes, and the species-area curve. Journal of Biogeography 19:481-490.
  54. Williams, J. D., A. E. Bogan, R. S. Butler, K. S. Cummings, J. T. Garner, J. L. Harris, N. A. Johnson, and G. T. Watters. 2017. A revised list of the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida) of the United States and Canada. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation 20:33-58.
  55. Williams, J. D., M. L. Warren, Jr., K. S. Cummings, J. L. Harris, and R. J. Neves. 1993. Conservation status of freshwater mussels of the United States and Canada. Fisheries 18(9):6-22.