Yukon floater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yukon floater
Conservation status
Apparently Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Unionida
Family:	Unionidae
Genus:	Sinanodonta
Species:	S. beringiana
Binomial name
Sinanodonta beringiana (Middendorff, 1851)
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Synonyms
Anodonta beringiana Middendorff, 1851

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The Yukon floater (scientific name: Sinanodonta beringiana) is a type of freshwater mussel. It's an aquatic animal with two shells, known as a bivalve mollusk. It belongs to the family Unionidae, which are often called river mussels.

This amazing creature has a shell that is thin but very strong. You can find Yukon floaters living in the sandy and gravel bottoms of streams and lakes. They live in places like Alaska, the Yukon Territories, the Aleutian Islands, and parts of Eastern Asia.

Yukon floaters have a unique life cycle. When they are young, they live as tiny parasites on certain fish. Once they grow up, they drop off their host fish. They can then live for a very long time, often 20 to over 40 years! Adult Yukon floaters eat tiny plants and animals called phytoplankton and zooplankton. They are also an important food source for animals like otters and muskrats.

Scientists consider their conservation status to be "Secure." Recent studies show that these mussels are growing faster. This is happening because of rising temperatures, which cause ice to melt earlier.

What Does a Yukon Floater Look Like?

The Yukon floater's shell is thin but strong. It is usually about twice as long as it is wide. These mussels can grow quite large, up to 8.25 inches (about 21 centimeters) long! Their shell has an oval shape and does not have any "teeth" or bumps along the hinge. The back part of their shells is smooth, without any wing-like extensions.

When they are young, their shells are an olive-green color. As the mussel gets older and more mature, its shell turns a darker, almost black color. The surface of the shell will also become rougher over time. You might see lines on it that show how much the mussel has grown. Inside, the shell can be gray or a dull blue color.

Where Do Yukon Floaters Live?

Yukon floaters are found in several cool places around the world. You can spot them in Alaska, the Yukon Territories in Canada, the Aleutian Islands, and the Kamchatka region in Eastern Asia. They prefer to live in the sandy and gravel bottoms of lakes, slow-moving rivers, and streams.

It can be tricky to identify this species correctly. Because of this, scientists sometimes had trouble knowing exactly where they came from. For a while, people thought they lived in the Fraser and Columbia river systems in British Columbia. However, newer information has not confirmed this. It's also hard to be sure if they live in Oregon and Washington states in the U.S.

The Yukon Floater's Life Cycle

The life cycle of a Yukon floater is quite interesting! It starts when male mussels release their sperm into the water. A gentle current helps the sperm find its way to a female mussel. The female then takes in the sperm to fertilize her eggs.

The fertilized eggs stay safe inside the female's gills. They grow there until they hatch into tiny larvae. These larvae are then released into the water. They quickly attach themselves to a host fish. Some of their favorite host fish include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, and three-spined stickleback.

The tiny mussel larvae, called glochidia, attach to the fish's gills. They get their nutrients from the fish using a special thread. The glochidia grow and develop while on the host fish. Once they reach a young, juvenile stage, they let go of the fish. They then settle down onto the bottom of the lake or river. You can usually find these larvae on host fish between May and August.

Yukon floaters are known for living a long time, often 20 to over 40 years! Because they live so long and depend on host fish, they are like natural "health indicators" for the waterways they live in. If the mussels are doing well, it often means the water is healthy too.

These mussels are a good food source for otters and muskrats. Long ago, the native people of Alaska also used Yukon floaters for food, to make jewelry, and even as tools.

How Are Yukon Floaters Protected?

Globally, the Yukon floater's status is G4, which means it is considered 'Apparently Secure'. This status was last checked in 2007, and it might need to be reviewed again. In the Yukon territory, its status is S2, meaning it is 'Imperiled' or in danger. In Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, it is S3, which means it is 'Vulnerable'.

Research on Yukon Floaters

In 2010, scientists studied Yukon floaters in an Alaskan lake. They wanted to see how warmer temperatures affect freshwater mussels and water systems in high places. The study found that these mussels grow the fastest during the warmest months.

This faster growth is linked to higher air temperatures and earlier ice melting. Warmer waters also help phytoplankton and zooplankton grow quickly. These tiny organisms are the main food source for Yukon floaters. The study concluded that Yukon floaters have been growing more quickly in recent years compared to the past.