Captive Survival and Pearl Culture Potential of the Pink Heelsplitter Potamilus alatus

Pink heelsplitter mussels Potamilus alatus were held at two bottom locations and suspended in pocket nets in a pond at the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for 1 year to evaluate survival in captivity. Survival after 1 year differed significantly; the poorest survival (30.0%) was at the bottom of the deep end (2.5 m), and there was no difference in survival) at the shallow end (83.3%; 0.6 m) and in pocket nets (63.3%; 1–1.5 m). Monthly survival was inversely related to water temperature ( R = −0.72); the lowest monthly survival occurred in summer, resulting in a significant difference among the three locations. Differences in the mean glycogen content of mussels among the three containment locations and wild‐sampled pink heelsplitter mussels were significant ( P = 0.001); the highest value was in mussels at the shallow end and the lowest value was in mussels at the deep end. We used pocket nets to hold surgically implanted mussels and measured glycogen reserves to monitor body condition and assess the potential of the pink heelsplitter mussel to produce nonnucleated and image pearls. Results of the pearl culture experiment in two ponds showed that nonnucleated pearls and image pearls with purple or purplish luster were successfully produced. There was no significant difference in pearl weight in mussels held in the two experimental ponds under different environmental conditions. Similarly, no differences in monthly survival rates of mussels were observed in either pond or among mussels with surgical implants and the no‐surgery control mussels. Therefore, pink heelsplitter mussels can be considered a potentially suitable species for producing purple pearls in farm pond environments.