Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
WABASH PIGTOE
WABASH PIGTOE. One of the most widely distributed species of mussel, the Wabash Pigtoe young are hosted by the silver shiner and the creek chub.
Food includes algae and fine particles of decaying organic matter; extracts nutrients and oxygen from water drawn into the body cavity through a specialized gill called the incurrent siphon; sediment and undigested waste are expelled through the excurrent siphon.
Mussels are excellent indicators of water quality because they are long-lived and relatively immobile, accumulating contaminants in water that can be analyzed. Large individuals of this species were used in the button industry and have value in the pearl and polished chip industries.
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Source:
"Wabash Pigtoe," Missouri Department of Conservation, Online: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wabash-pigtoe
