Eastern pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9

Special significance of the species

Freshwater mussels are sensitive indicators of the health of freshwater ecosystems, including water and habitat quality and especially the fish community on which they depend for successful reproduction. The Eastern Pondmussel was historically a significant component of the Great Lakes mussel fauna, being the fourth most common species in the lower Great Lakes and connecting channels prior to 1990. It is reasonable to assume that this species contributed significantly to the function of unionid communities in the Great Lakes ecosystem prior to the dreissenid invasion.

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