The James Spiny Musel lives in the bottom of streams and river in the sand and  gravel.  They require free-flowing, clean water.  They live in a variety of environments ranging from large rivers to shallow streams.
     They eat microscopic organisms  including algae, diatoms, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus which they filter out of the water.
     Adult mussels seldom move more than a few meters in their lifetimes.  In good water conditions, mussels can live from 15 to 50 years.
 

Reason for their decline in population:

Mussels are extremely susceptible to changes in water quality.  Creating dams, levies, and dredging channels has destroyed their habitats.  These changes can increase siltation which may smother the mussels, choke out their food source, or harm their host fish.

Protection:

    In order for the James Spiny Mussel to survive, State and Federal regulations must be enforced.  Some of the habitats need to be restored.  Research is needed to determine the necessary habitats and the fish host.