Villosa perpurpurea
CR

Villosa perpurpurea

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) — Species of bivalve

Overview

Villosa perpurpurea, the purple bean, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Villosa perpurpurea faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat degradation from agricultural runoff, urban development, and dam construction that alters natural flow regimes. Water quality deterioration from sedimentation and chemical pollutants has eliminated this species from much of its historical range across southeastern river systems. The species' dependence on specific fish hosts for larval development makes it particularly vulnerable to declining fish populations caused by habitat fragmentation.

Threat summary

Habitat

This freshwater mussel inhabits clean, flowing waters of medium to large rivers with stable gravel and sand substrates. It requires well-oxygenated water with minimal sedimentation and depends on specific fish species as hosts for its larval stage.

Other threatened species in UNIONIDAE

VU

Brazzaea anceyi

Unknown
Lampsilis higginsiiEN

Lampsilis higginsii

Unknown
CR

Recovery Pearly Mussel

Elliptio nigella

Declining
EN

Triangle Pigtoe

Fusconaia lananensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Villosa perpurpurea classified as Critically Endangered?
Villosa perpurpurea is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Villosa perpurpurea faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat degradation from agricultural runoff, urban development, and dam construction that alters natural flow regimes. Water quality deterioration from sedimentation and chemical pollutants has eliminated this species from much of its historical range across southeastern river systems. The species' dependence on specific fish hosts for larval development makes it particularly vulnerable to declining fish populations caused by habitat fragmentation.
Where does Villosa perpurpurea live?
Villosa perpurpurea occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Villosa perpurpurea?
The main threats to Villosa perpurpurea are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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