About Obovaria olivaria (Rafinesque, 1820)
Obovaria olivaria, commonly called the hickorynut, is a species of freshwater mussel. It is an aquatic bivalve mollusk that belongs to Unionidae, the family of river mussels. This species is native to eastern North America, where it occurs in the drainages of the Ohio River, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes. Obovaria olivaria exclusively uses sturgeons as larval hosts. While the IUCN lists this species as being of least concern, it is classified as endangered across most of its native range. It faces particularly high threat in areas near the Great Lakes and in Canada. Per NatureServe records, the hickorynut is presumed extirpated from Kansas, Alabama, and Ohio, and it may already be extirpated from Nebraska and Pennsylvania.
