McCreary County, Kentucky

Note: This information is provided for reference purposes only. Although the information provided here was accurate and current when first created, it is now outdated.

Freshwater mollusks found in this area are one or more of the following; the Fat Pocketbook, the Orange-footed (pimple back) pearly mussel, the Pink mucket pearly mussel, the Ring pink ( golf stick pearly) mussel, the Dromedary pearly mussel, and the Rough pigtoe mussel. All of these mussels are in the family Unionidae, a family restricted to North America. A far larger percentage of this family are imperiled than any other taxonomic (species) group. The United States used to have a major industry harvesting freshwater mussels for mother of pearl buttons, freshwater pearls, etc. There still may be a little harvesting, but not much.

Freshwater mussels can live up to 50 years. In the parasitic larval stage of the mollusk lifecycle, it is dependant on fish within its habitat not only for nutrients, but for providing the species with mobility. Yet only a few host fish are known. Mature mussels bury themselves in the riffles and shoals and feed by siphoning phytoplankton and other plant matter from the water. Reverse siphoning is used to expell undigestible particles from the shell. However, silt in the water can kill mussels by clogging their feeding siphons.

Major factors affecting mussel populations are alterations in temperature, waterflow, and siltation caused by stream damming and channeling. Agricultural runoffs and industrial practices have also affected the mussel habitat by degrading water quality and siltation. Because mussels are filter feeders, the effects of pollution are intensified due to the large quantities of water drawn through their siphons in the feeding process. Another significant threat is the widespread and rapid population growths of the introduced zebra mussel. The zebra mussel not only competes with native species, but also attatches to them (and anything hard) and can add so much weight that the native species cannot open to feed.

Matthews, J.R. (ed.), The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species, Beacham Publishing Inc, Washington, DC. Vol II, pp. 955-956.

The blackside dace is a small, colorful fish less than 8 cm. long. This fish is characterized by a single black lateral stripe, a green-gold back with black specks, a pale or sometimes brilliant scarlet belly, and fins that are are often bright yellow and metallic silver.

Consentrations of these fish are found in streams with large rocks, undercut banks, or where banks are lined with lush vegetation. They are believed to feed on algae, detritus, and sometimes insects but only in areas in which the streams current is swift enough to sweep away silt.

The blackside dace occupies approximately 23 km (14 mi) of about 30 streams in the upper Cumberland River basin, primarely above Cumberland Falls, in Pulaski, Laurel, McCreary, Whitley, Knox, Bell, Harlan, and Letcher counties in Kentucky, and Scott, Campbell, and Claiborne counties in Tennessee.

Threats to these populations are stream siltations caused by coal mining, agriculture, and road-construction runoff. In addition, competion from an introduced dace threatens the survival of this species.

Matthews, J.R. (ed.), The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species, Beacham Publishing Inc, Washington, DC. Vol II, pp. 924-5.