The Tar River spiny mussel or Tar River spinymussel, scientific name Elliptio steinstansana, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae

Unionidae

Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, naiads, or simply as unionids.The range of distribution for this family is world-wide...

, the river mussels. This species is endemic to North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is now limited to less than 5% of its probable historical range and it is expected to become extinct without significant human intervention, such as reintroduction. This is a federally listed endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

of the United States.

External links

• USFWS. Elliptio steinstansana Recovery Plan. May 1992.