Mucket

Habitat

The Mucket inhabits shallow riffle and run areas of small streams to large rivers. It can be found in a variety of substrates including mixed cobble and gravel, sand, and mud.

Distribution

The Mucket occurs throughout the upper Tennessee River basin in southwest Virginia, primarily in the Clinch and Powell River watersheds. This species can also be found in the North Fork Holston River and Middle Fork Holston River watersheds, although populations are smaller and do not seem to be recruiting. Historical observations and the presence of relict shell material suggests it once inhabited the New River at the VA/WV line and tributaries of the Big Sandy River basin as well.

Life History

Freshwater mussels have a very unique life cycle. Parasitic larvae, called glochidia, develop in the gills of the female mussel. Once mature, the glochidia are expelled from the gills of the mussel and must attach to the gills of a suitable host fish, where they complete their transformation into a juvenile mussel. They then detach from the fish and begin their free-living existence on the river bottom.

Some freshwater mussels are host-specialists, meaning that metamorphosis can only occur on a limited number of closely related fish species, while others are host-generalists, with the ability to complete their life cycle using many different species. The Mucket uses a variety of fish hosts including Black Bass (Micropterus spp.), Crappie (Pomoxis spp.), Sunfish (Lepomis spp.), and True Bass (Morone spp.).

Conservation

Although presumed stable, the Mucket has experienced declines throughout its range. Staff at DWR’s Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) in coordination with Virginia Tech’s Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center (FMCC) are currently propagating and augmenting populations throughout the upper Tennessee River basin.