Editor's Note: The following article is part of an ongoing science series written by faculty members from Arkansas State University and published periodically by The Sun.

By Dr. George L. Harp

Last spring the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the ASU Department of Biological Sciences jointly conducted a BioBlitz at the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake (SB-RB) Wildlife Management Area. A BioBlitz is a concentrated, 24-hour effort by professional biologists to identify as many plant and animal species in a target area as possible.

Wildlife management areas are established to manage wildlife species and to make those resources available to the public. Although management of fish, bird and mammal species is emphasized, all species of plants and animals are included. The SB-RB WMA, near Lynn, was targeted because of its diversity of habitat. It straddles the Black River, has several oxbow lakes and a slough. Much of this WMA is covered by bottomland hardwood forest, but the northwest corner lies in the Ozark foothills.

More than 450 species of plants and animals are now listed for SB-RB. Included are 119 species of aquatic invertebrates, as well as 105 bird, 90 vascular plant and 36 fish species.

Among the 45 species of butterflies recorded for this WMA, perhaps the most significant discovery was the Appalachian Brown. This is only the second population known to occur in Arkansas, and the numbers observed indicate that the SB-RB population may be the larger one. Other than a few sites in Minnesota, the Arkansas populations are the only ones known to occur west of the Mississippi River.

The pink mucket pearly mussel, a federally listed species, occurs in the Black River within SB-RB. Like many mussels, it is believed to be endangered because of habitat modification such as dams and dredging, degradation of water quality and over-harvest by the commercial mussel industry.

Mussels are not very mobile and many require a host during the parasitic larval stage of their life cycle.

Some, like the pink mucket and its close relatives, lure the host fishes to them so that when they release the larvae they can immediately attach to the host.

A part of the mantle that secretes the shell, becomes modified to look like a fish. Waving this flap makes it look even more inviting.

In the pink mucket it even has an eyespot.

As the host fish take the bait, the larvae are released and attach to the fish's gills. Successful attachment of the larvae to the correct host fish not only ensures completion of the life cycle but also the dispersal of the mussel.

Known host fishes for the pink mucket include sauger, walleye, drum, largemouth bass and spotted bass.

Some mussels that are found within the WMA, like the ebonyshell and Wabash pigtoe, solve the problem in a slightly different way. They produce their larvae in packets.

These conglutinates are shaped like aquatic insects. The result is the same: The host fish is lured close enough for the larvae to attach.

While the species list for this WMA is far from complete, we have a good beginning.

The BioBlitz information will be used by AGFC biologists to develop management plans.

The BioBlitz report is posted on the ASU Department of Biological Sciences Web site at http://biology.astate.edu/.

For more information contact the ASU Department of Biological Sciences at biology@a-state.edu.

Dr. George L. Harp is an emeritus professor of environmental biology at Arkansas State University.