Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2020 - 39

Pictured is an adult Pistolgrip Mussel from the Shenango River.

production of Northern Pike, Esox lucius; Muskellunge, Esox
masquinongy; and tiger muskellunge, Esox masquinongy x
Esox lucius. Even though the UCSFH is now embracing a
decidedly new mission of mussel culture for the purpose
of species conservation and stream restoration, Northern
Pike and tiger muskellunge spawning will continue in the
spring with eggs being shipped to other PFBC hatcheries.
The hatchery will also raise various pond-cultured fishes for
stocking and assisting in mussel culture operations.

Changing the culture

Culturing mussels is not for the faint of heart and not
too many people do it. The UCSFH will be one of just over
20 North American resource agencies, universities, or zoos
dedicating resources to culture mussels. Mussels have a
complex life cycle in which mussel larvae (called glochidia)
must first attach to a specific host fish before starting life
as a baby mussel. The catch is that there is still a lot that
scientists don't know about mussels, and culturists may
not always know what host fish to use. The challenge is not
limited to identifying the correct host fish, which may be
rare minnows or darters, but culturists must also carefully
raise or care for the fishes until baby mussels drop off the
fish. Thankfully, the PFBC culturists are, by nature, a nimble
bunch of conservationists who face daily challenges that
demand creative and quick thinking. The UCSFH staff have
unique backgrounds that range from tropical fish culture,
recirculating aquaculture, and medical microscopy lab
experience, which makes them well-suited for mussel culture.
Collectively, these skills benefit the PFBC as the facility
transitions from traditional fish culture systems to more
complex mussel culture systems.

The evolution of the UCSFH

Physically, the UCSFH has undergone significant changes
in the last 12 months as it evolved into a mussel hatchery.
Thousands of dollars were saved due to staff ingenuity in
constructing mussel hatchery and rearing systems. These
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cost savings permitted the purchase
of high-tech equipment such as a
medical-grade cell counter (used
for counting algal cells for feeding
mussels) and a stereo microscope
(used for counting baby mussels).
This technology will save staff
hundreds of hours of labor and
allow them to focus their efforts on
improving culture systems and take
advantage of training opportunities
in order to keep up with the latest
developments in culture techniques.
Mussel culture technology and
complex hatchery systems are
constantly being modified as the
science of mussel propagation for
restoration improves. The UCSFH
is actively engaged in learning more
about these mussel culture innovations and has received advice
and training from its federal partners at the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and fellow state agencies such as
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.

Jump start

In August 2019, the UCSFH received nearly 2,500 juvenile
mussels from the USFWS White Sulphur Springs National
Fish Hatchery. These mussels were being propagated by the
USFWS in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection to support Dunkard Creek
restoration efforts and endangered species recovery. The
UCSFH received Plain Pocketbooks, Lampsilis cardium;
Black Sandshells, Ligumia recta; and state endangered Round
Hickorynuts, Obovaria subrotunda. These mussels will allow
the UCSFH to test grow-out systems and act as a training aid
on culture techniques, basic biology, and life history of mussels.
Mussels will be stocked during the summer of 2020 when the
mussels are large enough to be tagged.

A sense of purpose

The UCSFH's initial focus will be to raise mussels to restore
the formerly diverse Dunkard Creek mussel population. The
Dunkard Creek mussel population was destroyed by a toxic
event in 2009. Additionally, the UCSFH will work to culture
mussels to help restore the Clarion River mussel fauna, a stream
that once ran "black like ink" and was declared "the worst in the
state" due to historical pollution. Dunkard Creek restoration and
settlement monies along with State Wildlife Grants and other
funding sources and opportunities will sustain the hatchery.
This latest endeavor by the PFBC has echoes of the agency's
earliest mussel culture ambitions but with a decidedly more
optimistic outlook. Working and collaborating within
(Hatcheries and Environmental Services) and with our state
and federal partners, the PFBC is once again putting muscle
behind its "Resource First" mission as the agency races the
clock to prevent further extinction of North America's most
endangered faunal group.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2020

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