Arkansia
| Ouachita rock pocketbook | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A live individual of Arkansia wheeleri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionoida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Arkansia |
| Species: | A. wheeleri |
| Binomial name | |
| Arkansia wheeleri Ortmann & Walker, 1912 | |
Arkansia is a monotypic genus[2] of freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. The sole species in the genus is Arkansia wheeleri. Its common names are the Ouachita rock pocketbook and Wheeler's pearly mussel.[1] The genus was named for the state of Arkansas, where the mussel was first discovered.[2] This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.[3]
Distribution
This species is native to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas in the United States, which have only four or five small, isolated populations.[4] Of the remaining populations, only the one located in the Kiamichi River in Oklahoma is viable.[4]
Description
This mussel is not sexually dimorphic; the sexes appear the same. The shell is somewhat rounded or oval, up to 11.2 centimeters long by 6 wide by 8.7 high. The shell is brown or black, lustrous and iridescent. The nacre is part pink and part white or bluish.[2]
References
- 1 2 Cummings, K. & Cordeiro, J. (2011). "Arkansia wheeleri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- 1 2 3 USFWS. Arkansia wheeleri Recovery Plan. March 2004.
- ↑ USFWS. Final rule to list the Ouachita rock-pocketbook (mussel) as an endangered species. Federal Register October 23, 1991.
- 1 2 Arkansia wheeleri. The Nature Conservancy.