Scientists at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have discovered a new species of mussel. The mussel called Ligodonta obscura was first found in 2016 in the Little River about 20 miles south of Asheboro. Over the last nine years, researchers have studied the mussel. It has unique characteristics related to its teeth and reproduction. Biologist Mike Perkins says this discovery is important because mussels are critical to a healthy freshwater ecosystem.
"They feed by filtering water out of the column, different types of nutrients, different types of algae and all kinds of stuff. So the healthier a mussel bed you have, the more diverse group of animals in it, the cleaner the water is," he said.
The mussel lives in only a 4-mile stretch of the Little River, making it highly endangered.