Unio crassus
| Thick shelled river mussel | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Unio crassus from Lužnice River, Czech Republic | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionoida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Unio |
| Species: | U. crassus |
| Binomial name | |
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Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788 |
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The thick shelled river mussel, scientific name Unio crassus, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.
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.
The thick shelled river mussel declined during the 20th century everywhere in Europe due to deteriorating water quality, habitat fragmentation and host fish limitation.
Its native distribution is European.
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Wikipedia