About Pleurobema clava (Lamarck, 1819)
Pleurobema clava, commonly known as the clubshell, club naiad, or clubshell pearly mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel. It is an aquatic bivalve mollusk that belongs to Unionidae, the river mussel family. This species is endemic to the United States. It is a federally protected endangered species, and is also listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Clubshells prefer clean, loose sand and gravel habitats in medium to small rivers and streams. They bury themselves in bottom substrate to depths of up to four inches. Once they settle in a location, clubshells are long-lived, and may reach ages of up to 50 years. The species is endangered most likely due to agricultural run-off, industrial waste, stream mining for gravel and sand, impoundment, and the spread of the exotic invasive zebra mussel. Before the species gained endangered status, clubshells could be found in the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee River systems, as well as Lake Erie drainages. Currently, these mussels can be found in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. At the time P. clava was listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in 1993, the species was likely restricted to no more than twelve rivers or streams.
