Upland combshell
The upland combshell (Epioblasma metastriata) was a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae. It was endemic to the upper Mobile River Basin in the southeastern United States.
| Upland combshell | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Epioblasma |
| Species: | E. metastriata |
| Binomial name | |
| Epioblasma metastriata (Conrad, 1840) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Dysnomia metastriata Conrad, 1840 | |
This species was found only in the shoals of rivers and large streams. This habitat has been massively impacted by dam construction and dredging. Due to habitat loss and pollution, this species is considered extinct. The last live individual was seen in 1988, in the Conasauga River. Surveys conducted after that time have failed to find any live individuals in any of their previously known locations,[2] and in 2021 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed officially labeling them as extinct.[3] The species was officially declared extinct and delisted from the Endangered Species Act on October 16, 2023.[4]
There remains the possibility that this species could still exist in sections of the Upper Coosa River Basin that, as of 2008, remain poorly surveyed.[5]
References
- Bogan, A.E. (1996). "Epioblasma metastriata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T7876A12860384. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T7876A12860384.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- NatureServe Explorer
- "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Delisting 23 Species from Endangered Species Act Due to Extinction". U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. September 29, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- "21 Species Delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to Extinction | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources