Focus on nature[TM].

The HIGGINS EYE (PEARLYMUSSEL) (Lampsilis higginsii) is a 3-3 1/2 inch freshwater bivalve. Its valves (shells) are yellowish-brown with dark growth ridges and greenish rays. As a mussel, it differs from a clam in that a mussel needs a host species to complete its life cycle. The glochidia (mussel larvae) of the Higgins Eye attach to the gills of two specific fish species for one to four weeks as their shells begin to form. Maturation and a lengthy lifespan require a clean gravel/mud riverbed without silt in the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries. Swift currents of the deep water provide dietary microorganisms. Because bivalves are filter-feeders, they are an important "barometer" of water health thus helping us to improve our water quality. Relocation efforts to rivers unaltered by dams, dredging or pollutants are attempting to help save this endangered mollusk. [c] 2001 by endangered species artist, Rochelle Mason. www.rmasonfinearts.com. [phone]