Appendix E continued 



resist a mildly forceful attempt by hand to open their shells. 

 The State Fish Pathologist of the Illinois Department of 

 Conservation, Mr. Rod Horner, examined some of these moribund 

 individuals and reported that cilia on the gills were still 

 beating and the animals appeared to be infected with Columnaris - 

 type bacteria. He was unable to determine whether the bacteria 

 caused the morbidity or simply invaded the mussels after they 

 were weakened by some other primary cause. 



The finest beds of mussels remaining in the Mississippi, 

 including some rare and endangered species, lie within the area 

 of the die-off s, and we believe a program to determine the cause 

 should be concerted as soon as possible. 



94 



