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Parvaspina collina

(Conrad, 1837)

James Spinymussel

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 16 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
Critically endangeredIUCN
Very high - highThreat Impact
James spinymussel (Parvaspina collina). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.117714
Element CodeIMBIV35080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
IUCNCritically endangered
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassBivalvia
OrderUnionoida
FamilyUnionidae
GenusParvaspina
Synonyms
Canthyria collina(Conrad, 1837)Fusconaia collina(Conrad, 1837)Pleurobema collina(Conrad, 1836)
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.
Taxonomic Comments
Davis and Fuller (1981) placed this species in the genus Fusconaia. Perkins et al. (2017), in a phylogenetic study utilizing molecular, morphologic, life history, and biogeographic information supported the recognition of Elliptio steinstansana and Pleurobema collina as members of a unique genus, Parvaspina.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2019-01-19
Change Date1997-10-07
Edition Date2019-01-19
Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J.R. (2019; 2006); Morrison, M. (1997)
Threat ImpactVery high - high
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
The overall range of this species has narrowed significantly and occupied habitat has been reduced to a few remaining headwater tributaries in the Roanoke and James Rivers that are very patchy and are threatened by habitat degradation and competition from the Asian clam. A new population was discovered in the last twenty years that has remained viable through careful monitoring and management although precise population density has not been determined.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs from Upper James River basin, Virginia and West Virginia (only the Potts Creek Watershed, Monroe Co.) into the Roanoke river basin North Carolina (Boss and Clench 1967, Lipford 1989, Hove and Neves 1991,Savidge and Wood, 2001, Bogan 2002). Based on collection records, this species was historically endemic to the upper James River drainage (mainstem and tributaries including the Rivanna and North) above Richmond Virginia. Recent records of this species from the Dan River (a Roanoke River tributary) in Stokes Co., North Carolina (Savidge and Wood 2001) corroborate historic stream capture between the headwaters of the Roanoke and James River systems in the mountains of Virginia (Johnson 2006).
Occurrences Comments
The distribution of this species is defined as occurring in five 'sub-drainages' (Hove and Neves, 1991; 1994), mostly in Virginia but extending slightly into West Virginia mostly in the upper watershed of the James River (Lipford, 1989) as well as the Dan and Mayo River drainages of the Roanoke River basin (Dan River) in North Carolina in Rockingham and Stokes Cos. (LeGrand et al., 2006; Savidge and Wood, 2001) plus the Tar River although originally thought to be in error (Boss and Clench, 1967; Bogan, 2002; Savidge and Wood, 2001; Johnson, 2006).
Threat Impact Comments
Rapid decline in the past few decades is due to siltation, generated by agricultural and forestry activities such as road construction and gravel dredging; invasion of the Asiatic clam as a potential competitor; impoundments on rivers (more than 50 dams on Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers in Tennessee and Kentucky) and subsequent flood control and sedimentation and change in flow regime; pollution of inland waters from municipal, industrial, and agricultural sources (chlor-alkali plants, fly ash, sulfuric acid spills, acid mine drainage, organic wastes, insecticides) with several sewage treatment plants in and around the habitat of this species (USFWS, 1988; 1990).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Aside from this species, only two other freshwater spined mussels are known: Elliptio spinosa, a large-shelled and long-spined species known from the Altamaha River system in Georgia, and Elliptio steinstansana, a species with intermediate shell size adn spine length found only in the Tar River in North Carolina (USFWS, 1990).

Habitat

This species lives in a variety of environments ranging from large rivers to shallow streams with slow to moderate current and relatively hard water on sand and mixed sand and gravel substrates (Boss and Clench, 1967).

Reproduction

This species is a short-term brooder that releases glochidia in summer (late May through early August). The following fish hosts are reported in Neves (1991) and Hove and Neves (1991; 1994): the rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides), bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), mountain redbelly dace (Phoxinus oreas), blacknose dace (Rhynichthys atratulus), central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), rosefin shiner (Lythrus ardens), satinfin shiner (Cyprinella analostana), and possibly the swallowtail shiner (Notropis procne).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS1Yes
North CarolinaS1Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineLow (long-term)
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted (11-30%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
3.2 - Mining & quarryingRestricted (11-30%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightModerate (short-term)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightModerate (short-term)
5 - Biological resource useSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
5.4 - Fishing & harvesting aquatic resourcesSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useLarge (31-70%)Extreme - seriousHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineLow (long-term)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineLow (long-term)
8.2.2 - Named speciesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineLow (long-term)
9 - PollutionLarge (31-70%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsRestricted (11-30%)Serious - moderateLow (long-term)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
9.4 - Garbage & solid wasteRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (16)
Virginia (15)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
References (39)
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  2. Boss, K.J. and W.J. Clench. 1967. Notes on <i>Pleurobema collina</i> (Conrad) from the James River, Virginia. Occasional Papers on Mollusks, 3(37): 45-52.
  3. Clarke, A.H. 1984. Status survey of the James River spiny mussel, <i>Canthyria collina</i> (Conrad), in the James River drainage system. (Contract #4107). Final report to VPI & SU, Office of Sponsored Programs, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  4. Clench, W.J. and K.J. Boss. 1967. Fresh water Mollusca from James River, VA, and a new name for <i>Mudalia </i>of authors. The Nautilus, 80(3): 99-102.
  5. Davis, G.M. and S.L.H. Fuller. 1981. Genetic relationships among recent Unionacea (Bivalvia) of North America. Malacologia, 20(2): 217-253.
  6. 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
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