Federally endangered winged mapleleaf mussels cultured and placed in the St. Croix River, Minnesota

The endangered winged mapleleaf mussel one inhabited 34 river systems, but has been reduced to one reproducing population on the St. Crois River in Minnesota. This population is threatened by a zebra mussel infestation and water releases from an upstream dam. Studies on the fish species that serve as host for mussel larvae have found that only a few members of the catfish family serve this function. Future studies will involve studies of naturally infested catfish and their ecological requirements and capacity for larval transformation in the laboratory.