Growing up in the Ohio River Valley, the world outside of the Midwest seemed alluring, bigger and better in nearly every way. Faraway places were full of new and interesting people, places, and animals. That was until I had the chance to get out and explore faraway places and realize how little I knew about my own hometown. Marcel Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but by having new eyes,” and these wise words inspire us at Ohio River Foundation to appreciate and explore the amazing environment in our watershed. This is one of the key goals of the Mussels in the Classroom program. Expose students to the magic, challenges, and hopeful conservation work happening right here in their backyards.
Recently, we went out with the team from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Center for Mollusk Conservation to assist with the collection of the federally endangered fanshell mussel (Cyprogenia stegaria). These mussels will be reintroduced to specific waterways in Indiana where they have been extirpated for years.
The federally endangered fanshell mussel
The fanshell mussel was historically widespread throughout the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee river systems. It was once common to find hundreds of thousands of fanshell mussels in the Ohio River. Sadly, today the fanshell can only be found in a few small, isolated populations, and only around 4 of these locations have viable, reproducing populations. Amazingly, around half of these reproducing populations of fanshell mussels are found in tributaries of the Ohio River.
There are many reasons fanshells are struggling. Here in the Midwest, we are living in a mussel biodiversity hotspot for North America. Of the 297 species of mussels found in North America, 127 were once found in the Ohio River Basin. Sadly, today 70% of these species are extinct or endangered, making freshwater mussels the most threatened organisms in North America. This is due to many factors, but primarily habitat loss, dams, dredging, erosion, pollution, and invasive species (like the Zebra mussel and Asian clam). These are just the modern factors putting mussels at risk. In the early 20th centur,y overharvesting for industry, such as pearl buttons, decimated populations, and most never recovered.
Mussels also have an incredibly complex reproductive strategy that requires a specific fish species to complete the mussel’s larval development. In the case of the fanshell mussel, females produce packets of baby mussels inside a lure packet that resembles spiral worms. These faux spiral worms attract fish such as the logperch.
5th graders from Cline Elementary collect fish as part of a bioassessment during a River Explorer program in August 2025 on Banklick Creek, a tributary of the Licking River and Ohio River.
5th graders from Cline Elementary caught this logperch in Banklick Creek as part of our River Explorer program. Logperch are a fish host species for the endangered fanshell mussel. Logperch are critical to the reproduction of the fanshell mussel.
The fanshell mussel has 8 known fish species that are compatible hosts, one of which is the logperch. In this example, the hungry logperch is lured in, and when the fish bites down, the disguised packet breaks apart and the baby mussels latch down onto the fish’s gill,s where they safely stay for weeks or months until they are large enough to drop off and continue to mature. To learn more, check out how Mussels Moms Have All The Moves. This complex and amazing example of creative mimicry on the part of the mussel is almost too wild to believe!
The fanshell is an incredible creature hanging on in our local watershed. Thanks to the great work of scientists in our community, there is hope that they will return to more rivers and creeks. It’s not hard to see why you might FANGIRL the fanshell. Join us in celebrating this amazing animal and the watershed it calls home.
Thank you to the amazing team at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Center for Mollusk Conservation.
The Center was founded in 2002 by the Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Its mission is to restore and recover rare and imperiled freshwater mollusks. The staff has years of experience in many fields related to fish culture, aquaculture, malacology, shellfish and bivalve culture, algae culture, aquatic ecology, limnology, freshwater ecology, conservation biology, fish and shellfish husbandry, endangered species conservation, population ecology, ichthyology, and many other areas. They have worked with over 70 species of freshwater mussels, 75 species of fishes, 12 species of snails, and dozens of algae species. Their primary focus is the conservation, restoration, culture and propagation of freshwater mussels.
Provided by Melinda Voss, Education Programs Manager