North America hosts the world's most diverse freshwater mussel fauna, but over 70% of species are endangered, threatened, or of special concern due to habitat degradation.
Freshwater mussel welfare considerations operate primarily at the population level, as individual mussel sentience and capacity for suffering remains scientifically uncertain due to their simple nervous systems. However, population collapse represents the loss of individuals with longevity exceeding 100 years and ecological roles that support entire aquatic communities. The welfare significance of declining mussels extends to the fish and other aquatic animals whose habitat quality and food resources deteriorate when filter-feeders are lost from river systems. Conservation of freshwater mussel diversity serves both the uncertain welfare interests of mussels themselves and the clearer welfare interests of the many fish and aquatic species that depend on healthy mussel communities.