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Pleurobema clava

(Lamarck, 1819)

Clubshell

G1Critically Imperiled (G1G2) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
Critically endangeredIUCN
Very highThreat Impact
Clubshell (Pleurobema clava). 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.2.902145
Element CodeIMBIV35060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
IUCNCritically endangered
CITESAppendix II
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassBivalvia
OrderUnionoida
FamilyUnionidae
GenusPleurobema
Other Common Names
Club Naiad (EN) Clubshell Pearly Mussel (EN)
Concept Reference
Watters, G.T., M.A. Hoggarth, and D.H. Stansbery. 2009b. The Freshwater Mussels of Ohio. Ohio State University Press: Columbus, Ohio. 421 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
The relationship between Pleurobema oviforme and Pleurobema clava is a matter of debate as P. oviforme replaces P. clava in headwaters of the Tennessee River, and it has been suggested that they are conspecific (Williams et al., 2008).

In the latest treatment of freshwater mussels of Ohio, Watters et al. (2009) treat Pleurobema bournianum (known only from the type locality of the Scioto River and not collected in over 150 years) as a synonym of Pleurobema clava.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-01-03
Change Date2010-08-05
Edition Date2024-01-03
Edition AuthorsWatters, T. G. and M. Morrison (1998); rev. J. Cordeiro (2009); rev. T. Cornelisse (2024)
Threat ImpactVery high
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
This species has a moderate range but due to long and short-term population declines and many ongoing threats, there are a limited number of viable occurrences.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in the Lake Erie/St. Lawrence and Ohio River systems in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, USA (USFWS 2019).
Occurrences Comments
This species is known from 11 extant populations in 19 streams, including those with reintroduced individuals (USFWS 2019; GBIF 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by sedimentation, nutrient, and chemical pollution from land conversion activities, including development, agriculture, oil and gas operations, gravel dredging, pipeline construction, dams and water diversions that change hydrological conditions and prevent habitat connectivity and recolonization, and habitat alteration due to climate change, including increased water temperatures and drought, and invasive species (USFWS 2019).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Shell: To 90 mm, small stream specimens considerably smaller. Elongate, triangular, distinctly wedge-shaped, the umbos placed anteriorly. No observable sexual dimorphism in shell. The majority of specimens have the umbos placed just posterior to the anterior margin; occasional examples have the umbo projecting past this margin. Individuals become increasingly more elongate with the umbos placed progressively forward with age. Anterior portion inflated, posterior portion compressed and tapering to an acute posterior margin. Shell sculptureless except for growth lines and a weak posterior ridge. Sulcus present on juvenile shell but may not persist into adult stages. Shell thickened anteriorly, posterior margin thin and fragile, even in large specimens. The beaks are sculptured with two to three microscopic, undulating ridges set obliquely to the umbo. Periostracum yellow in juveniles, becoming darker with age, with growth annuli dark and pronounced. Very old individuals may be nearly black. Shells patterned with dark green rays, particularly in juveniles. The typical pattern is of many fine rays anteriorly and one or more broad rays over the region of the sulcus. All rays are interrupted by the growth annuli creating a checkerboard pattern in many examples. Hinge plate moderately thick, the umbonal cavity shallow and wide. Left valve with two pseudolateral and pseudocardinal teeth each; right valve with one each. Teeth coarsely serrate. Nacre white, iridescent posteriorly, occasionally with a golden tinge to the teeth. Anterior adductor scar deeply set near anterior margin; posterior adductor scar at posterior end of hinge plate. Retractor muscle scars prominent.

Animal: White to pale orange (unpreserved). The inner gill is somewhat larger than the outer in the male and nongravid female. In gravid females the outer is used as the brood pouch (Pennack, 1978) erroneously states that the inner gill is the brood pouch). The water tubes and placentae are lanceolate and the eggs pale in color. Incurrent opening coarsely papillose, excurrent finely papillose.

The shell has been illustrated by Call (1900, plate 62), Clench (1959) as PLEUROBEMA MYTILOIDES (figure 43.72), and by Parmalee (1967, plate 30A), Burch (1975, figure 62), and Stansbery (1976).

Habitat

This species is found in small to medium rivers and streams, often downstream of riffles, with low to high gradients and coarse sand or gravel substrates (USFWS 2008).

Reproduction

This species reaches sexual maturity are 3-5 years old (USFWS 2008).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
MichiganS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
OhioSNRYes
KentuckyS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS2Yes
New YorkS1Yes
TennesseeSHYes
NebraskaSXYes
AlabamaSXYes
IndianaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningLarge - restrictedSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingLarge - restrictedSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1.2 - Named speciesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionLarge (31-70%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsLarge - restrictedSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (2)
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
References (66)
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