>I've been doing a bit of research but haven't located any information
>about shellfish in Michigan.  Other than the zebra mussel, do we have
>any?  Are they endangered or protected?

Shellfish also can refer to crustaceans or other aquatic invertebrates as
well as mollusks.  Crayfish occur in Michigan, and many species either are
protected, ought to be protected, or should have been protected but it's
too late now.

Bivalves and gastropods are the only mollusk classes that have adapted to
fresh water; gastropods are the only ones that include fully terrestrial
forms.  Although a few representatives of several groups of bivalves have
invaded fresh water in the tropics, the only freshwater bivalves in
Michigan are unionids (aka freshwater mussels), Corbicula leana (Asian
clam), sphaeriids (fingernail clams), and dreissenids (zebra mussels).
Several groups of gastropods occur in fresh water or on land, though most
are pulmonates.  Many unionids are also in trouble (as are some
representatives of the other groups).  There are a couple of unionid
specialists on the list who could give you more detail as to which species
occur in Michigan and the level of protection.


David Campbell

"Old Seashells"

Department of Geological Sciences
CB 3315 Mitchell Hall
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC 27599-3315
USA

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919-962-0685
FAX 919-966-4519

"He had discovered an unknown bivalve, forming a new genus"-E. A. Poe, The
Gold Bug