Hyridella glenelgensis

(Redirected from Glenelg freshwater mussel)

Hyridella glenelgensis, also known as the Glenelg freshwater mussel or Glenelg River mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Hyridella glenelgensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Unionida
Family: Hyriidae
Genus: Hyridella
Species:
H. glenelgensis
Binomial name
Hyridella glenelgensis
(Dennant, 1898)

The species is endemic to the Glenelg River, which is close to the border between the states of South Australia and Victoria in south-eastern Australia. They used to be plentiful, when the last assessment was done in 2014 there were only about 1000 individuals left,[1] and as of 2020 there are only a few small populations left. They have been affected by run-off of sediment into the river from land that had been degraded by livestock, and then further damaged by the bushfires over the 2019-2020 summer. In October 2020 the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority was given funding of A$180,000 by the federal government towards restoring the habitat of the mussel.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Walker, KF; Jones, H. A. & Klunzinger, M (2014). "Hyridella glenelgensis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014. IUCN: e.T58609631A58628791. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T58609631A58628791.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. ^ Whiteside, Grace (29 October 2020). "Funding to protect critically endangered Glenelg River mussels". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 October 2020.