Alabama Mussels in the Genus Villosa
Choctaw Bean Villosa choctawensis. Rare. Endemic to Gulf Coast drainages. Found in Choctawhatchee, Escambia, and Yellow river systems. Usually found in areas with at least some current. Listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on October 12, 2012. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.
Rayed Bean Villosa fabilis. Extirpated. Represented by a single prehistoric record from a Tennessee River shell midden in Jackson County. No species account available because not included in Alabama Wildlife. EXTIRPATED.
Rainbow Villosa iris. Special concern. Restricted to Tennessee River system. Extant in several tributaries. Usually in shoal habitats. Moderate Conservation Concern.
Little Spectaclecase Villosa lienosa. Common. Occurs throughout Alabama south of the Tennessee River drainage. Found in a variety of habitats. Lowest Conservation Concern.
Alabama Rainbow Villosa nebulosa. Special concern. Found in Mobile Basin upstream of the Fall Line. Occurs in small streams. Moderate Conservation Concern.
Painted Creekshell Villosa taeniata. Special concern. Endemic to Cumberlandian Region. Usually in small to medium creeks in shoal habitats. Moderate Conservation Concern.
Cumberland Bean Villosa trabalis. Extirpated. Endemic to Cumberlandian Region. Historically occurred downstream to Muscle Shoals. Has not been reported since the river was impounded. Restricted to lotic habitats. Listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. EXTIRPATED. Cumberland bean have been restocked into the Paint Rock River.
Mountain Creekshell Villosa vanuxemensis. Fairly common. Endemic to Tennessee and Cumberland River systems. Extant in several tributaries. Relict population in tailwaters of Wilson Dam. May occur in shoal or pool habitats. Low Conservation Concern.
Coosa Creekshell Villosa umbrans. Rare. Endemic to Mobile Basin. Highly localized in tributaries upstream of the Fall Line. Found primarily in small streams. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.
Southern Rainbow Villosa vibex. Common. Found in a variety of habitats throughout Alabama south of the Tennessee River drainage. Lowest Conservation Concern.
Downy Rainbow Villosa villosa. Rare. Found in extreme southeastern Alabama in small tributaries in the Chattahoochee and Choctawhatchee river systems and possibly in the headwaters of the Chipola River. May be in riffle or pool habitats. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.
