Home > Harvesting > Freshwater Mussels > Species> Spike   Spike (Elliptio dilatata) The Spike (Elliptio dilatata) was formerly very abundant in the central and upper reaches of the Illinois River, as indicated by archaeological and historical data. However, it disappeared from the river in the mid-1900s because of pollution, siltation, and other human-caused changes in the river environment. The spike was never valued commercially because of its purple shell interior (nacre). (Conservation Status: State Threatened)

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