Unio crassus, the thick shelled river mussel, is a speciesoffreshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.[3]
Thick shelled river mussel | |
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Unio crassus from Lužnice River, Czech Republic | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Unionida |
Family: | Unionidae |
Genus: | Unio |
Species: |
U. crassus
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Binomial name | |
Unio crassus Philipsson [de] in Retzius, 1788[2] |
As part of newly discovered reproductive behaviour, this mollusc crawls up to the edge of the water, exposing its excurrent aperture, and then lets loose a stream of water. The fountain of water often contains glochidia, and it is suggested that this spurting behavior may facilitate dispersal of mussel larvae[4] (video).[5]
The thick shelled river mussel declined during the 20th century everywhere in Europe due to deteriorating water quality,[6] habitat fragmentation and host fish limitation.[7]
Its native distribution is Europe and Western Asia.[1][8]