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Comprehensive Description
The family Unionidae is commonly referred to as pearly mussels, naiads, or unionids. Although no full accounts for the family Unionidae exist and the exact number is currently disputed, researchers agree that the order Unionoida includes around 1,000 species worldwide (Bauer 2001a). Charles Torrey Simpson described 1,172 species in 1900 and 1,337 in 1914. A more recent account by Fritz Haas (1969) combined over 4,000 names into just 837 recognized species (Graf & Cummings 2002).
The Unionidae are acephalic (no head), bivalved mollusks usually with the beak (the elevated portion of the dorsal margin) slightly anterior. When present, the pseudocardinal teeth are generally anterior to the beak. The lateral teeth, generally posterior to the beak, are parallel to the hinge line. The species in this family have a foot rather than a byssus, fibrous structures found in other mussel families. Along with Margaritiferidae, another family included in the order Unionoida, Unionidae does not have true siphons (True siphons are formed when tissues between the inhalent and exhalent openings are fused and mantle aperatures are elongated). Unlike the family Margaritiferidae, the inhalant aperture (opening in the posterior end of the mantle border where water enters the mussel) of Unionidae has unbranched papillae (bumps). Individuals vary in shape, size and coloration. Adult individuals can range from 30 to 250 mm.
- Bauer, G. 2001a. Characterization of the Unionoida (=Naiads). Pp. 3-4 in G Bauer, K Wachtler, eds. Ecological Studies: Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida, Vol. 145. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
- Graf, D., K. Cummings. 2008. "The Mussel Project: A Resource for Freshwater Malacologists" (On-line). Accessed December 15, 2008 at http://bama.ua.edu/~musselp/index.html.
- Haas, F. 1969. Das Tierreich Lieferung 88: Superfamilia Unionacea. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
- Simpson, C. 1900. Synopsis of the Naiads, or Pearly Fresh-water Mussels. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 22: 501-1044.
- Simpson, C. 1914. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naiads, or Pearly Fresh-water Mussels, Parts I-III. Detroit, MI: Bryant Walker.
- Smith, D. 2001. Pennak's Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States: Porifera to Crustacea, Fourth Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
Members of the family Unionidae occur in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Indonesian Archipelago (Graf and Cummings, 2002) and can thrive in tropical to temperate climates. The most diversity is in North America, where there are approximately 286 species (Turgeon et al., 1998), mainly east of the Rocky Mountains (Jennings, 2000). The nearly 300 species in North America are grouped into 49 genera, which make up two subfamilies: Unioninae and Ambleminae (Graf, 2002). The genus Elliptio is an example of this broad diversity. Only two species are found in the interior United States (Mississippi River basin), and the majority of the species (36 currently recognized) are found in the rivers of the southeastern Atlantic coastal plain (Watters, 2001a). Historical documentation describes mussels paving the beds of the Ohio and Wabash rivers (Warren, 2000).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); australian (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: holarctic
- Cummings, K., C. Mayer. 1992. Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest, Manual 5. Champaign, Illinois: Illinois Natural History Survey. Accessed July 13, 2003 at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/mollusk/fieldguide.html.
- Graf, D. 2002. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of two problematic freshwater mussel genera (Unio and Gonoidea) and a re-evaluation of the classification of Nearctic Unionidae (Bivalvia: Palaeoheterodonta: Unionoida). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 68: 65-71.
- Jennings, S. 2000. "Needs in the Management of Freshwater Mussels in the National Park System" (On-line). Accessed July 18, 2003 at http://www.nature.nps.gov/wrd/mussels/mussels5-01.htm.
- Turgeon, D., J. Quinn, A. Bogan, E. Coan, F. Hochberg, W. Lyons, P. Mikkelsen, R. Neves, C. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. Thompson, M. Vecchione, J. Williams. 1998. Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, Second Edition. Bethesda, Maryland: American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 26.
- Warren, R. 2000. "Native Americans: Historic" (On-line). Museum Link Illinois. Accessed August 03, 2003 at http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/index.html.
- Watters, G. 2001a. "Electric Elliptio Land in North America" (On-line). Accessed July 18, 2003 at http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~molluscs/Elliptio/.
Physical Description
In general, members of the Unionidae are acephalic, have two calcium carbonate/organic shells called "valves" (bivalved) attached at the hinge by an elastic ligament. They have an umbo (beak) along the dorsal margin and slightly anterior to the hinge and are bilaterally symmetrical along a plane running between the two valves. Individuals do not have true siphons. Instead, they have two to three openings in the mantle along the posterior margin that act as the inhalant and exhalant apertures (Smith 2001). These openings are either papillated (bumpy) or crenulated (grooved) along the external margin. Under each mantle is a gill made up of two demibranchs. Each demibranch is composed of two lamellae fused at the ventral surface but open at the dorsal surface forming a "W." Each lamella is lined vertically with compact water tubes, which are closed at the bottom but open into a larger, shared cavity at the top called the suprabranchial chamber. These water tubes are characteristic of Unionidae but not Margaritiferidae. The ax-shaped foot is found on the anterior end of the organism and between the demibranchs in the two valves. The majority of the median visceral mass in the posterior portion of the organism is primarily dorsal and not as confined in the anterior portion (Smith 2001). Unionids have a simple sensory system. Their nervous system is comprised of three pairs of ganglia: cerebropleural, pedal, and visceral. With one on each side of the esophagus, the cerebropleural ganglia are located on the posterior side of the anterior adductor muscle and are connected by a short commissure. In the foot and fused is the pair of pedal ganglia and anterior to the posterior adductor muscle is the partially fused visceral ganglia. The ganglia are connected by long commissures and each pair is the source of the nerve fibers for the surrounding organs (Smith 2001). Near the pedal ganglia is a pair of statocysts, which are ovid or spherical. These statocysts are filled with fluid and lined with sensory cells. They also contain a solid sphere called a statolith (Smith 2001). These mussels generally have closed statocysts and a single statolith (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Osphradia are specialized epithelium concentrated in two small regions on the roof of the cloacal chamber (the posterior end of the suprabranchial chamber in the gills where it is fused) (Smith 2001). In some species, there is a spot of pigmentation near the inhalant aperture that may be photoactive (Smith 2001).
Adult unionids can range anywhere from 30 to 250 mm (Smith 2001) in length, and are just as variable in shape and color. Among the common shapes are triangular, circular, rhomboidal, quadrate, trapezoidal, and elliptical (Burch 1975). Shape is a general description; it cannot be heavily relied upon in the identification of species because it can vary among individuals of the same species. It is not uncommon to have a more inflated, rounded form of a species found in large rivers, while the larger, more compressed form of the same species is found in smaller streams and lakes where currents are not as strong. Many genera in the subfamily Ambleminae, tribe Lampsilini exhibit sexual dimorphism. In these species, the males are usually bluntly pointed or squared along the posterior-ventral margin, while females are broadly truncated. Periostracum colors vary from yellow or tan to shades of green to dark brown or black. Some have solid rays, broken rays, wavy rays, rays composed of chevrons, or even a combination of rays and spots. External shell sculpturing can also vary from one species to another and can be used to distinguish some taxa. Sculptures can be one of several combinations of ridges and bumps called "nodules" or "pustules." Not all mussel species have sculpturing. Nearly the entire Unioninae subfamily has smooth surfaces with the exception of ridges formed from the concentric growth rings. Another exterior sculpturing that is relied upon in identification is beak sculpture. Beak sculptures range from numerous fine concentric ridges to a few distinctive bars to double-looped or v-shaped ridges. In some cases, the difference in beak sculpture is the best way to distinguish between two species. Other exterior shell characteristics may include a prominent posterior ridge extending from beak to posterior-ventral margin, a unique texture to the periostracum, or a wing-like structure extending from the dorsal margin.
Aside from the exterior surface of the shell, researchers involved in identifying mussel species examine various aspects of the interior of the shell as well. In fact because of the high individual variability of the exterior, the interior characteristics are relied more heavily upon in identification. Probably the most important interior features are the size, shape, number, and orientation of the hinge teeth. Pseudocardinal teeth are situated slightly anterior to the beak and are generally short and triangular in shape. These teeth can vary from being broad and triangular to thin and elevated and are generally serrated. Orientation of the pseudocardinals refers to the angle between the pseudocardinals and the lateral teeth, which can be obtuse (angled away from the center of the shell), nearly right (vertical), or acute (angled toward the center of the shell). In some species, the pseudocardinal teeth are practically parallel with the lateral teeth. Lateral teeth are the long, slender, raised ridges posterior to the beak. These teeth can vary in length; can be straight or curved, smooth or serrated, thick or thin, and compressed or elevated. In some species, the teeth are well-developed, while in other species, the teeth are poorly-developed or reduced to a thickening along the hinge. In addition to the characteristics of the hinge teeth, mussels vary in the depth of the beak cavity, the width of the interdentum (the area between the pseudocardinal and lateral teeth along the hinge), the color of the nacre, the degree of impression of the muscle scars and pallial line (the line running parallel to the ventral margin), the thickness of the shell, the degree of inflation of the shell (the width or distance from one beak to the other when the two valves are together), the curvature of each margin, and the height of the umbo. Most species are identified by a combination of several characteristics.
Glochidia are the parasitic stage of the larvae and are generally dependent on a host to survive. Mature glochidia range from 0.05 to 0.5 mm in diameter. They are bivalves, which vary in shape from triangular, circular, oblong, or (in Potamilus only) ax head shaped and are typically attached by a single adductor muscle. Most glochidia have sensory hairs lining their mantle and a larval thread protruding from the open valves, which may allow them to attach to the host. Many species have hook-like structures to allow them to attach to the fins or skin of the fish. Those species without hooks usually attach to the gills.
Measurements are generally taken of the length, height, and width. The length is the distance from the anterior to the posterior margin. The height is the distance from dorsal to ventral margin, usually at the beak. Width is the widest point when the mussel valves are together, which is usually below the beaks. In addition, some identification keys will use the length to height ratio as a way to distinguish some species.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; polymorphic
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; sexes shaped differently
- Burch, J. 1975. Freshwater Unionacean Clams (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of North America. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
- Meglitsch, P., F. Schram. 1991. Invertebrate Zoology, Third Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Unionids are found in various permanent freshwater sources such as lakes, streams, and rivers. The family Unionidae is not found in high mountain lakes, probably due to a lack of proper fish hosts for the glochidia or poor nutrient supply (Smith 2001). Most species are generally found where there are coarse substrates like sand or gravel (Smith 2001) however, the predictive value of substrate has been questioned (Strayer and Ralley, 1993). In Michigan, different mussel distributions may more strongly tied to surface geology in the streams (Strayer, 1983). Constantly shifting substrates or stream basins composed of solid rock have few mussels. Rivers tend to have a more abundant food supply and higher dissolved oxygen content than bodies of water with little or no current. Large rivers tend to contain a wider diversity of mussel species and larger populations than smaller streams (Cummings & Mayer 1992). Watters (1992) found as the area of a drainage basin increases, so does the fish diversity. This relationship is likely due to the increased diversity in habitat for fish. Watters (1992) also found a linear correlation between fish diversity and mussel diversity, likely due to the increase number of host fish species available.
Because the shell is primarily composed of calcium carbonate, mussels prefer an aquatic habitat with an alkaline pH, an abundance of calcium, a bound carbon dioxide content of more than 15 mg/L, and a potassium level less than 7 mg/L. Some species are able to tolerate an acidic pH for a short time, but eventually the acid will dissolve the shell and alter the internal chemistry of the visceral mass. Calcium and carbon dioxide are important for the development of the shell, and potassium appears to be toxic.
Unionids are most abundant in depths less than 2 m, but will populate waters as deep as 7 m (Smith 2001). The record depth for a Unionidae genus was 31 m. At this depth six Pyganodon grandis specimens ranging between 7 and 14 years old and less than 53 mm long were collected from Lake Michigan (Reigle 1967).
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; freshwater
Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; lakes and ponds; rivers and streams
Other Habitat Features: intertidal or littoral
- Reigle, N. 1967. An occurrence of Anodonta (Mollusca, Pelecypoda) in Deep Water. American Midland Naturalist, 78: 530-531.
- Strayer, D. 1983. The effects of surface geology and stream size on freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) distribution in southeastern Michigan, U. S. A.. Freshwater Biology, 13: 253-264.
- Strayer, D., J. Ralley. 1993. Microhabitat use by an assemblage of stream-dwelling unionaceans (Bivalvia), including two rare species of Alasmidonta. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 12: 247-258.
- Watters, G. 1992. Unionids, Fishes, and the Species-Area Curve. Journal of Biogeography, 19: 491-490.
Trophic Strategy
Adult freshwater mussels are filter feeders; they continuously filter food particles out of the water (Watters 1998; Allen 1921). Water is constantly pumped into the inhalant aperture, through the gills, and out the exhalant aperture by cilia. The cilia lining the inner surface of the mantle, demibranchs, and visceral mass create a current by beating in a coordinated manner. Organic and inorganic particles suspended in the water surrounding the inhalant aperture are brought in by the current and caught in the mucus lining the demibranchs. The constant current created by the cilia moves the mucus with any trapped particles to the cilia lining the labial palps. The labial palps remove the inorganic particles and push them toward the ventral margin where they drop off, are move by the cilia backward, and released between the valves just below the inhalant aperture (Smith 2001). The organic particles are separated by size in sorting areas on the labial palps and are then directed into the mouth. From the mouth, particles are moved through a short esophagus to the digestive gland surrounding the stomach. Food particles enter the stomach through the subdivided pores of the large digestive gland (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Small particles are digested intracellularly as they enter the stomach. The intestinal glands are responsible for phagocytosis, intracellular digestion, food absorption, secretion of enzymes and excretion (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). The intestine coils behind and below the stomach before it extends dorsally and empties into the mantle cavity through the anus located just above the exhalant aperture. At the anterior end of the stomach is a lateral diverticulum (groove) containing a crystalline style (an elongated structure composed of a dense gelatinous material) (Smith 2001). The style extends into the stomach and rotates clockwise by the ciliary epithelium within the style sac (Meglitsch & Schram 1991; Smith 2001). The anterior end, which is in the stomach, erodes as it rubs against the digestive shield. As is erodes, it releases the digestive enzymes, amylase, lipase, and cellulase (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Because unionids do not ingest large particles, the ciliary action surrounding the style returns the larger particles back to the entrance of the digestive glands to be resorted. During periods of starvation, the crystalline style will disappear, but will regenerate when food is more abundant (Smith 2001). Regeneration is a slow process which occurs during low water temperatures.
The exact type of food consumed by adult freshwater mussels has been debated for some time now. Some researchers have suggested mussels eat algae and diatoms (Allen 1914), while others suggest bacteria, protozoans and other organic particles were ingested (Watters 1998). A few studies have even suggested ingesting silt somehow enhances the survival of the organism (Watters 1998). Generally, unionids feed on the bacteria and microphytoplankton but nothing larger (Smith 2001; Cummings & Mayer 1992).
The phagocytic mantle cells of the glochidia feed off of the host's tissue (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Before attachment, glochidia must locate a proper host. In most cases, they end up in the stream or lake sediments with the open end of the valves up awaiting a fish to brush up against the mud allowing the larvae to attach themselves to the fins. The glochidia of other species swim around in the water by clapping the valves together.
Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding
Primary Diet: planktivore ; detritivore
- Allen, W. 1914. The Food and Feeding Habits of Freshwater Mussels. Biological Bulletin, 27: 127-146.
- Allen, W. 1921. Studies of the Biology of Freshwater Mussels: Experimental Studies of the Food Relations of Certain Unionidae. Biological Bulletin, 40: 210-241.
Like all other organisms, freshwater mussels play an important role within their ecosystem. Not only do they provide a food source for muskrats and other predators, but they also aid in the decomposition of detritus and keep the bacterial and planktonic populations under control (Pusch et al 2001; Jorgensen 1990). Dense mussel populations rely on rapid currents for survival. During periods of little or no current, these dense mussel beds can cause a depletion of the dissolved oxygen and food supply, causing a rise in the mortality rate of the mussel and other faunal populations along the basin (Jorgensen 1990).
Researchers have found that the glochidia generally do not cause sufficient enough damage to the host to cause problems. Cases of over 3000 glochidia infecting a fish without apparent harm have been reported. However, there have also been cases where 30 mm fingerling trout have died of secondary bacterial infections caused by a little more than 100 glochidia (Smith 2001). Some fish species are able to develop an immune response to resist the glochidia causing them to pre-maturely drop off the fish.
Ecosystem Impact: parasite
Species Used as Host:
- large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides
- long-nosed gar Lepisosteus osseus
- orange spotted sunfish Lepomis humilis
- bitterling Rhodeus amarus
- yellow perch Perca flavescens
- walleye Sander vitreus
- white-tail shiner Cyprinella galacturus
- spotfin shiner Cyprinella spiloptera
- big-eye chub Hybopsis amblops
- mud puppy Necturus maculuosus
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
- aspidogastrean trematodes (Aspidogastrea)
- monogenean trematodes Monogenea
- unionicolid mites Unionicolidae
- a chironomid midge Baeoctenus bicolor
- leeches Hirudinea
- Jorgensen, C. 1990. Bivalve Filter Feeding: Hydrodynamics, Bioenergetics, Physiology, and Ecology. Denmark: Olsen and Olsen.
- Pusch, M., J. Siefert, N. Walz. 2001. Filtration and Respiration Rates of Two Unionid Species and Their Impact on the Water Quality of a Lowland River. Pp. 317-326 in G Bauer, K Wachtler, eds. Ecological Studies: Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida, Vol. 145. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Muskrats are probably the most important mammal that preys on freshwater mussels (Cummings & Mayer 1992; Smith 2001). These animals drag the mussels, primarily the thin-shelled species, on the shore and either break the shells open with their teeth or leave them on the banks until the mussel dies and the shell opens (Smith 2001). In active muskrat foraging areas, there are often middens of a variety of shells which have been cleaned by the muskrats. Other common unionid predators include minks, otters, raccoons, turtles, hellbenders, fish, some species of birds, and humans (Cummings & Mayer 1992; Smith 2001; Watters 1998). Some of the common fish species include the freshwater drum, sheepshead, lake sturgeon, spotted suckers, redhorses, and pumpkinseed. Shortnose sturgeon often consume Elliptio juveniles. Catfish and sheepshead have been found preying upon the more soft-shelled species (Smith 2001). In Europe, hooded crows have been known to prey upon mussels. They are able to reach the soft tissue by dropping the mussels to crack the shell open (Watters 1998).
Aside from predators, mussels are often invaded by destructive parasites. Unionicolid mites and monogenean trematodes are often found feeding upon the mantle and branchial tissue. A chironomid midge, Baeoctenus bicolor, feeds and lays its eggs upon the demibranchs (Smith 2001) and has been known to consume up to 50% of the gill tissues (Watters 1998), which interferes with the respiration and reproduction of the mussel. Other trematodes infect the nacre causing the formation of irregular pearls and blisters and often discolor the nacre (Smith 2001). Aspidogastrean trematodes are known to infect the branchial, intestinal, and pericardinal cavities (Smith 2001). Matteson (1955) found a leech attached to the mantle cavity of a female Lampsilis siliquoidia.
To avoid these predators, mussels will bury themselves into the lake or stream sediments. Because adult unionids do not have true siphons, only openings in the mantle, they must leave the posterior margin out of the sediments to allow for sufficient respiration. This exposure leaves the organism vulnerable to predation, desiccation, and temperature extremes (Watters 1998).
Known Predators:
- humans (Homo sapiens)
- muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus)
- American minks (Neovison vison)
- Northern river otters (Lontra canadensis)
- raccoons (Procyon lotor)
- turtles (Testudines)
- hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
- freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
- sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
- lake sturgeons (Acipenser fulvescens)
- shortnosed sturgeons (Acipenser brevirostrum)
- spotted suckers (Minytrema melanops)
- redhorses (Moxostoma)
- pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus)
- catfish (Siluriformes)
- hooded crows (Corvis cornix)
Life History and Behavior
Unionids use specialized structures to visually attract potential fish hosts. The combination of the statocysts and the statolith aids the mussel in maintaining equilibrium by sensing gravity. They may also be able to detect vibrations (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Although the function of the osphradia is uncertain, some researchers believe that they detect foreign particles brought in through the inhalant aperture (Smith 2001). Drastic changes in the intensity of the light in the environment can be detected by the mantle border (Smith 2001). Glochidia can usually detect light changes with ocelli, but the eyes are generally lost after metamorphosis (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). Many mussel species also have tactile cells lining the exposed portion of the mantle, which aid in the organism's sense of touch (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). The glochidia are especially sensitive to touch, which helps in the attachment to a host as it comes close to them (Arey 1921).
Communication Channels: visual ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: mimicry
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; vibrations ; chemical
- Arey, L. 1921. An Experimental Study on Glochidia and the Factors Underlying Encystment. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 33: 463-499.
Life Cycle
Embryonic unionids develop within the marsupia, or specialized portions of the gills, of the female. Once fully developed, they are released from the female and must attach to the gills or fins of a fish host within a few days or they will die. Strophitus undulatus and Utterbackia imbecillis are the only two species capable of direct development without a host (Watters 1994c). Only one species, Simpsonaias ambigua, metamorphoses on a salamander, Necturus maculosus. Many unionids are species-specific, requiring one or a narrow range of species. If attached to the wrong species, the glochidia will die as a result of the fish's immune system response (Watters 1998). Within a couple of days, the hosts' dermal tissue will encapsulate each glochidium forming a nodular cyst. While encysted, the glochidia will metamorphose, allowing the organs to develop more like an adult's organs (Meglitsch & Schram 1991). There is a mortality rate of over 99.99% from the time the glochidia are released from the mother to the time in which the metamorphosed juveniles settle in the sediments (Jansen et al 2001).
After an average of 10-30 days (the record is 190 days), the metamorphosis will be complete and the glochidia will break from the cysts and drop from the host. The third and final stage of development occurs in the sediments of the stream or lake and may last anywhere from one to eight years before the juvenile is sexually mature. In this juvenile stage, the young mussel will complete its internal development, create the adult shell, and begin to live independently in the stream or lake.
As in most bivalves, the shell is composed of three layers: the periostracum, the prismatic layer, and the nacre. The periostracum is the outermost layer and is composed of an organic material. The prismatic layer is the middle layer and is composed of thin blocks of a prism-like calcium carbonate, which are oriented perpendicular to the mantle and the other two layers. The nacre, or mother of pearl, is the innermost layer, which is composed of thin, alternating, laminae (flakes or sheets) of calcium carbonate and an organic material (Smith 2001). The mantle is responsible for generating new shell as the mussel ages. A mantle flap is pressed against the interior of each valve and ends in three folds. The periostracum forms at the outer margin and the prismatic layer forms at the outer border. The nacre forms along the entire surface of the mantle. Muscle scars form where the muscle attaches to the shell, disrupting the formation of the nacre. Instead of the shell forming along the dorsal edge where the hinge is located, an elastic hinge ligament composed of conchiolin (a protein-rich substance) forms, binding the two valves together (Meglitsch & Schram 1991).
Growth of the mussel begins at the elevated portion called the umbo or beak. Because new shell is added along the entire edge of the mantle, concentric rings form around the beak. In some species, these rings may be grouped closer together in some areas than others, forming ridges. These ridges indicate the period of diapause during the winter or unfavorable environmental conditions, such as lower water level or lack of food. The period of growth in northern populations is typically from April to September. The growth rate depends mostly on environmental conditions such as water temperature, food supply, and the chemical composition of the water. Many mussel species are capable of growing 30 to 80 mm every two growing seasons.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
- Jansen, W., G. Bauer, E. Zahner-Meike. 2001. Glochidial Mortality in Freshwater Mussels. Pp. 185-211 in G Bauer, K Wachtler, eds. Ecological Studies: Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida, Vol. 145. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
- Watters, G. 1994c. An Annotated Bibliography of the Reproduction and Propagation of the Unionoidea (Primarily of North America). Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Biological Survey: Miscellaneous Contributions No. 1.
- Watters, G. 1998. "Freshwater Mussels: Biology" (On-line). Conchologists of America Conch-net. Accessed July 25, 2003 at http://coa.acnatsci.org/conchnet/uniobio.html.
Life Expectancy
For small organisms, unionids are long-lived, living an average of 10 or more years (Cummings & Mayer 1992). Some genera live only 8 to 9 years, while others can live up to 10 to 15 years (Smith 2001). Given the proper conditions, many species can live up to 20 or 30 years (Watters 1998). Bauer (2001b) suggested life span is dependent upon metabolic rate. Mussels with a higher metabolic rate tend to have a shorter life span. Those unionids in larger rivers or streams would have a higher metabolic rate due to the abundance of food, and would be expected to have a short life. Unionids that thrive further upstream may have a longer lifespan because they would have adapted to a limited food supply by decreasing their metabolic rate. Although metabolic rate is a key factor affecting longevity in some species, it is not a universal constant. Some species with similar metabolic rates may have very different lifespans.
- Bauer, G. 2001b. Framework and Driving Forces for the Evolution of Naiad Life Histories. Pp. 233-255 in G Bauer, K Wachtler, eds. Ecological Studies: Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida, Vol. 145. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
A few species are occasionally or permanently simultaneous hermaphrodites (Bauer 1987), but in most cases, unionid sexes are separate. Bauer (1987) suggested that hermaphroditism occurs when the population density is low or gene flow is limited. In these cases, the female is the only one of the two sexes that can become hermaphroditic. Despite the dioecious nature of most mussels, males and females do not make contact with each other. Males produce sperm year round and release during the time of year when females ovulate (Matteson 1948). This simultaneous release of gametes may be triggered by a change in the water temperature and the intensity of light in the environment. The male's sperm leaves the suprabranchial chamber of each demibranch and exits the organism through the exhalant aperture to be carried by the water current to a nearby female. Because sperm cannot swim against the current, the receiving female must be downstream (Watters 1994a). The sperm enters the female through the inhalant aperture and fertilizes the eggs stored in the water tubes of the demibranch's lamellae (Smith 2001).
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Depending on the species, sexual maturity is reached between one and eight years (Smith 2001). Gamete production is initiated by a change in the water temperature surrounding the mussel (Watters 1998). Annual gametogenesis and gravidity may occur throughout the year or during certain seasons depending on latitude. The more northern populations tend to be gravid for a few months or all winter long and release the glochidia in the spring. There are a few species that release the glochidia in the fall. In many cases, southern populations are not restricted to reproducing during certain seasons. The number of larvae developing in one female at a time may range from several thousand in some of the smaller Unionidae genera to possibly over 1 million. The maximum amount of glochidia in one female is unknown, but Tankersley and Dimock (1992) recorded nearly 1 million in a Pyganodon cataracta female. The closest related family, Margaritiferidae, contains species which have produced more than 3 million per individual (Smith 2001). Bradytictic (long term) breeders will maintain the glochidia within the marsupia, the specialized portions of the gills, until the following spring or summer before releasing them into the water. Tachytictic (short term) breeders will release the glochidia in the same year, usually by July or August (Watters 1998). Matteson (1948) was convinced that the membrane surrounding the developing embryos provides all of the necessary nutrients, rather than the female transferring food to the developing young. His conclusion was based on a lack of connective structure from the gills to the young and that the fertilization membrane surrounding each embryo, which prevents the passing of any materials, remains until development is complete.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); simultaneous hermaphrodite; sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); ovoviviparous
Unionid embryos spend the first stage of development in the marsupial portion of the female unionid's gills, where they develop into glochidia, the parasitic stage. Once the first stage is complete, usually in the spring, the female will release the glochidia into the water to begin the second stage as a parasite. Because glochidial mortality is high, many unionids have developed specialized methods of attracting fish to the mother before the glochidia are released, increasing the chances the larvae can attach to a host. Some of these species extend the glochidia encapsulated in conglutinates (Chamberlain 1934). These conglutinates (sacs) are attached to the parent organism and move in the current like worms. This encapsulated appendage acts as a lure to attract the host fish, which then eats the glochidia freeing them from the capsule and allowing them to attach to the gills of the fish. Other species use a modified mantle flap to attract the fish. This flap mimics the prey of the potential host fish. The glochidia are sensitive enough to attach themselves to the fish as soon as contact is made.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
- Bauer, G. 1987. Reproductive Strategy of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera margaritifera. Journal of Animal Ecology, 56: 691-704.
- Chamberlain, T. 1934. The Glochidial Conglutinates of the Arkansas Fanshell, Cyprogenia aberti (Conrad). Biological Bulletin, 66: 55-61.
- Matteson, M. 1948. Life History of Elliptio complanatus (Dillwyn, 1817). American Midland Naturalist, 40: 690-723.
- Smith, D. 2001. Pennak's Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States: Porifera to Crustacea, Fourth Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
- Tankersley, R., R. Dimock Jr. 1992. Quantative Analysis of the Structure and Function of the Marsupial Gills of the Freshwater Mussel Anodonta cataracta . Biological Bulletin, 182: 145-154.
- Watters, G. 1994a. North American Freshwater Mussels Part 1: The Quick and the Dead. American Conchologist, 22: 4-7. Accessed December 15, 2008 at http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/articles/y1994/9406_watters.asp.
- Watters, G. 1998. "Freshwater Mussels: Biology" (On-line). Conchologists of America Conch-net. Accessed July 25, 2003 at http://coa.acnatsci.org/conchnet/uniobio.html.
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage
Specimen Records:5663
Specimens with Sequences:5732
Specimens with Barcodes:4964
Species With Barcodes:275
Public Records:2190
Public Species:209
Public BINs:252
Barcode data
Conservation Status
Worldwide, freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups with significant population declines documented in recent surveys. In the United States alone, nearly 70 species are either endangered or threatened (USFWS 2003). Reasons for the past decline include the effects of the pearl button industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the cultured pearl industry of the past 50 years. Today, siltation from agriculture, forestry, and construction smothers the organisms inhibiting feeding and respiration. Impoundments alter the habitat, killing first the mussels that thrive in rapid currents. Dams cause an increase in silt as well as a constant cold water temperature. Since many mussel species are temperature sensitive, the cold will slow the growth and may inhibit the reproduction of the mussels that survived the initial shock of the construction. In-stream sand and gravel mining often buries, crushes, or removes the mussels in the substrate and releases silt, which affects the species downstream. Agricultural runoff is another threat to mussel populations. Many species cannot tolerate pollutants introduced in the water from pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. At sub-lethal concentrations these chemicals inhibit respiration and accumulate in the tissues of the organism. Mussels are also sensitive to heavy metals which accumulate in the tissues. Mine runoff creates an acidic pH in the water, which many mussel species cannot tolerate for long periods of time. Salinity from road salt runoff is lethal to glochidia.
In addition to industrial wastes and depletion, mussels now compete for resources with introduced species. The Asian clam and the zebra mussel are probably the two most common exotic species, which have been introduced to North American freshwaters.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2003. "Species Information: Threatened and Endangered Animals and Plants" (On-line). Accessed August 13, 2003 at http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species.
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
There are no known adverse effects of unionid mussels on humans.
Humans have used freshwater mussels and their shells for food, jewelry, tools, utensils, and pottery temper for thousands of years (Cummings & Mayer 1992). Native Americans have been carving shells for implements and ornamentation for at least 3000 years. Around 1000 years ago, people in North America discovered that tempering their pottery with crushed shells rather than sand or gravel allowed them to create a smoother, thinner vessel. During this same period, people were creating beads, hoes and spoons with freshwater mussel shells (Wiant 2000).
Before 1890, freshwater mussels were used for only a few decorative items such as pistol grips, brush handles, and jewelry. Both U.S. tariffs on imported goods (including buttons) and the rise of the new ready-to-wear clothing industry created high demand for buttons. The pearl button industry began in 1891 with the start of a new fashion trend to use shell buttons to fasten clothes. With Muscatine, Iowa as the center of the industry, pearl button production became a major industry for hundreds of river towns along the Mississippi and other Midwestern rivers. Thousands of tons of mussels were harvested. The demand was so high that by 1900 the Illinois and Wabash rivers were depleted of mussels. The peak of the industry occurred in 1909 with a record of 2600 boats on the Mississippi River alone. By the 1940s and 1950s, cheaper plastic buttons became widely available and replaced the shell buttons, causing the collapse of this industry and the recovery of many depleted mussel populations.
In the 1950s, the Japanese pearl growers developed another use for freshwater mussel shells (Cummings & Mayer 1992). They discovered that small beads could be carved out of the shells of freshwater mussels and inserted into oysters to artificially form pearls. They also found that certain species, particularly the threeridge and the washboard, were easier to manipulate and created a better nucleus. These discoveries were the beginning of the cultured pearl industry. Today, thousands of tons of freshwater mussel shells from North America are exported to Japan to support the pearl industry (Cummings & Mayer 1992).
In addition to the many products, freshwater mussels act as water quality indicators. Because they are filter-feeders, pollutants in the water will accumulate in the tissue of mussels until they reach a toxic level killing the organism. A drastic drop in the mussel population is an indication of poor water quality.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material; research and education
- Huitt, S., R. Warren. 2003. "Freshwater Mussels" (On-line). Harvesting the River. Accessed August 03, 2003 at http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/harvest/mussels/index.html.
- Wiant, M. 2000. "Native Americans: Prehistoric" (On-line). Museum Link Illinois. Accessed August 03, 2003 at http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/pre/index.html.
The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids.[1][2]
The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most diverse in North America, with about 297 recognised taxa,[3][4][5] but China and Southeast Asia also support very diverse faunas.
Freshwater mussels occupy a wide range of habitats, but most often occupy lotic waters, i.e. flowing water such as rivers, streams and creeks.
Life history[edit]
Unionidae burrow into the substrate, with their posterior margins exposed. They pump water through the incurrent aperture, obtaining oxygen and food.
Unionoids remove phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as suspended bacteria, fungal spores, and dissolved organic matter.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Despite extensive laboratory studies, it remains uncertain as to which of these filtrates unionoids actually process. In high densities, they have the ability to influence water clarity [16][17] but filtration rates are dependent on water temperature, current velocity, and particle size and concentration. In addition, gill morphology can determine particle size filtered, as well as the rate.[10]
Unionidae are distinguished by a unique and complex life cycle. Most unionids are of separate sex, although some species, such as Elliptio complanata, are known to be hermaphroditic.[18]
The sperm is ejected from the mantle cavity through the male's excurrent aperture and taken into the female's mantle cavity through the incurrent aperture. Fertilised eggs move from the gonads to the gills (marsupia) where they further ripen and metamorph into glochidia, the first larval stage. Mature glochidia are released by the female and then attach to the gills, fins or skin of a host fish. A cyst is quickly formed around the glochidia, and they stay on the fish for several weeks or months before they fall off as juvenile mussels, which then bury themselves in the sediment.
Some of the species in the Unionidae, commonly known as pocketbook mussels, have evolved a remarkable reproductive strategy. The edge of the female's body that protrudes from the valves of the shell develops into an imitation of a small fish complete with markings and false eyes. This decoy moves in the current and attracts the attention of real fish. Some fish see the decoy as prey, while others see a conspecific, i.e. a member of their own species. Whatever they see, they approach for a closer look and the mussel releases huge numbers of larvae from her gills, dousing the inquisitive fish with her tiny, parasitic young. These glochidial larvae are drawn into the fish's gills, where they attach and trigger a tissue response that forms a small cyst in which the young mussel resides. It feeds by breaking down and digesting the tissue of the fish within the cyst.[19]
Sex is determined by a region located on the mitochondrial DNA, the male open reading frame (M-ORF) and female open reading frame (F-ORF). Hermaphroditic mussels lack these regions and contain a female-like open reading frame dubbed hermaphroditic open reading frame (H-ORF). It has been determined that in many mussels, the hermaphroditic state is ancestral and the male sex evolved later. It is also hypothesized that this region of the mitochondria may be responsible for the evolution of Doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) seen in freshwater mussels.[20]
Fossilization and taphonomic implications[edit]
In large enough quantities, unionid shells can have enough of an impact on environmental conditions to affect the ability of organic remains in the local environment to fossilize.[21] For example, in the Dinosaur Park Formation, fossil hadrosaur eggshell is rare[21] because the breakdown of tannins from local coniferous vegetation would have caused the ancient waters to become acidic.[21] Eggshell fragments are present in only two microfossil sites, both of which are dominated by the preserved shells of invertebrate life, including unionids.[21] The slow dissolution of these shells releasing calcium carbonate into the water raised the water's pH high enough to prevent the eggshell fragments from dissolving before they could be fossilized.[21]
- ^ Unionidae. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 4 January 2012.
- ^ Huber, Markus (2010). Compendium of Bivalves. A Full-color Guide to 3'300 of the World's Marine Bivalves. A Status on Bivalvia after 250 Years of Research. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. pp. 901 pp. + CD. ISBN 978-3-939767-28-2.
- ^ Williams, J. D, M. L. Warren, K. S. Cummings, J. L. Harris, and R. J. Neves (1993). "Conservation Status of Freshwater Mussels of the United States and Canada". Fisheries 18 (9): 6–22. doi:10.1577/1548-8446(1993)018<0006:CSOFMO>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1548-8446.
- ^ Burch, John B.. 1975. Freshwater unionacean clams (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of North America. Biota of Freshwater Ecosystems, Identification Manual No. 11. U.S. Gov. Printing Office. 114p.
- ^ Heard, William H. 1979. Identification Manual of the Freshwater Clams of Florida. Fla. Dept. Environmental Regulation, Technical Series 4(2): 1-83.
- ^ Allan, W. R. (1914). "The food and feeding habits of freshwater mussels." Biological Bulletin 27: 127-147.
- ^ Coker, R. E., Shira, A.F., Clark, H.W., Howard, A.D. (1921). "Natural history and propagation of fresh-water mussels." Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries 37: 77-181.
- ^ Churchill, E. P., Lewis, S.I. (1924). "Food and feeding in fresh-water mussels." Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries 39: 439-471.
- ^ McMahon, R. F., Bogan, A.E. (2001). Mollusca: Bivalvia. Ecology and classification of North American freshwater invertebrates. J. H. Thorp, Covich, A.P. San Diego, Academic Press: 331-429.
- ^ a b Silverman, H., Nichols S.J, Cherry J.S., Archberger E., Lynn J.S., Dietz T.H. (1997). "Clearance of laboratory-cultured bacteria by freshwater bivalves: differences between lentic and lotic unionids." Canadian Journal of Zoology 75: 1857-1866.
- ^ Bärlocher, F., Brendelberger, H. (2004). "Clearance of aquatic hyphomycete spores by a benthic suspension feeder." Limnology and Oceanography 49: 2292-2296.
- ^ Roditi, H. A., Fisher, N.S., Sanudo-Wilhelmy, S.A. (2002). "Uptake of dissolved organic carbon and trace elements by zebra mussels." Nature 407: 78-80.
- ^ Baines, S. B., Fisher, N.S., Cole, J.J. (2005). "Uptake of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its importance to metabolic requirements of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha." Limnology and Oceanography 50: 36-47.
- ^ Yeager, M. M., Cherry, D.S., Neves, R.J. (1994). "Feeding and burrowing behaviors of juvenile rainbow mussels, Villosa iris (Bivalvia, Unionidae)." Journal of the North American Benthological Society 133: 217-222.
- ^ Nichols, S. J., Silverman, H. Dietx, T.H., Lynn, J.W., Garling, D.L. (2005). "Pathways of food uptake in native (Unionidae) and introduced (Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae) freshwater bivalves." Journal of Great Lakes Research 31: 87-96.
- ^ Cohen, R. R. H., Dresler, P.V., Phillips, E.P.J., Cory, R.L. (1984). "The effects of the Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea, on phytoplankton of the Potomac River, Maryland." Limnology and Oceanography 29: 170-180.
- ^ Phelps, H. L. (1994). "The Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea): invasion and system-level ecological change in the Potomac River estuary near Washington, D.C." Estuaries 17: 614-621.
- ^ Downing, J. A., Amyot, J.P., Pérusse, M., Rochon, Y. (1989). "Visceral sex, hermaphroditism, and protandry in a population of the freshwater bivalve Elliptio complanata." Journal of the North American Benthological Society 8(1): 92-99.
- ^ Piper, Ross (2007), Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals, Greenwood Press.
- ^ Breton, S., Stewart, Donald T., Shepardson, Sally, Trdan, Richard J., Bogan, Arthur E., Chapman, Eric G., Ruminas, Adrew J., Piontkivska, Helen, Hoeh, Walter R. (2011). "Novel Protein Genes in Animal mtDNA: A New Sex Determination System in Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida)?" Molecular Biology and Evolution 28(5): 1645-1659.
- ^ a b c d e Tanke, D.H. and Brett-Surman, M.K. 2001. Evidence of Hatchling and Nestling-Size Hadrosaurs (Reptilia:Ornithischia) from Dinosaur Provincial Park (Dinosaur Park Formation: Campanian), Alberta, Canada. pp. 206-218. In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life—New Research Inspired by the Paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Edited by D.H. Tanke and K. Carpenter. Indiana University Press: Bloomington. xviii + 577 pp.
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The Joy of Dynamic Gentle Yoga
Rudy Peirce, MA, E-RYT 500, has studied and practiced yoga and meditation for more than 30 years. A Kripalu Yoga teacher since 1983, he guides accessible and gentle yoga, using a self-empowering, mindful approach that…
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No matter what shape you're in, you can enjoy the balance, peace, and self-awareness that yoga brings. Rudy Peirce takes a gentle approach, infusing his sessions with humor, humility, and warmth as he invites you into a deeply relaxing practice. Rudy skillfully breaks postures into accessible increments, and brings an understanding of specific conditions, including back problems, arthritis, and recovery from injury, surgery, and illness.
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Saturday, May 22, 2010Texas
(3:02:49 PM/fwgb) TFTC, but I think we need extra stars! The coordinates were way off! My cousin and I looked all over the place (which was quite a bit further than "just off the trail") to no avail in the morning. When we were getting ready to leave the campground, we stopped in the ranger station and mentioned not finding it. We were told it was the other direction down the trail. All we knew was "under a big rock". We were literally looking for a needle in the haystack, but after about an hour of looking at every rock pile on the trail, WE FOUND IT!!!! Nice trail, though. When we opened the log book, there was the original entry of items by the owner, but then there was an entry for July 5, 2010. It's only May. What's up with that? I'm assuming we are sharing the FTF on this one. It was my cousin's second find and she worked her tail off for it. The contents were damp, but the log was dry in it's baggie.
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Devastating Traps: Chain Disappearance
Chain Disappearance initiates a three-pronged attack that can single-handedly dismantle an opponent's strategy. First, it banishes a monster with 1000 ATK that was just Summoned. Second, it banishes all copies of that monster from your opponent's hand. Third, it banishes all copies of that monster from your opponent's Deck. If an opponent relies on using a single small monster to win, or a specific combination of 2 small monsters, he'll be devastated when Chain Disappearance wipes them all from existence.
Some Decks are more vulnerable to Chain Disappearance than others. Inzektor Decks, for example, usually rely on the effects of their weakest Inzektors to carry the rest of the Deck. Inzektor Hornet only has 500 ATK, but all of the Inzektors use Hornet to destroy cards. If you can banish all of your opponent's copies of Inzektor Hornet with Chain Disappearance, your opponent won't be able to combine his other Inzektors with his Hornets to destroy your cards.
Similarly, most Inzektor Decks rely on the 1000 ATK Inzektor Dragonfly to swarm the field. If you can banish all of an opponent's copies of Inzektor Dragonfly with Chain Disappearance, your opponent will be Dueling at a big disadvantage.
Wind-Up Decks are also vulnerable to Chain Disappearance. Wind-Up Rat is essential for pulling off the discard loop with Wind-Up Hunter or swarming the field with copies of Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity. If you banish all of an opponent's Wind-Up Rats with Chain Disappearance, it'll be much harder for him to Xyz Summon Rank 3 monsters.
Less popular Decks are also dangerously vulnerable to Chain Disappearance. Dragunity Decks, for instance, usually rely on Special Summoning Dragunity Phalanx to Synchro Summon big monsters. Banish all of an opponent's Phalanxes with Chain Disappearance, and your opponent will lose access to his strongest monsters. An opponent using a Monarch Deck may have trouble Tribute Summoning if you banish all of his Treeborn Frogs with Chain Disappearance, and an Infernity Duelist will lose his best combos if you banish his Infernity Necromancers.
Chain Disappearance is strongest against Decks with niche cards that it can banish. That's what makes it great for Side Decks. But Chain Disappearance can also banish some cards that are used in many different Decks. Sangan, for example, has 1000 ATK and is vulnerable to Chain Disappearance. Sangan is Limited to 1, so you won't be able to banish any extra copies from an opponent's hand or Deck; but sometimes banishing a single on-field Sangan is good enough. Chain Disappearance can also banish Tour Guide From the Underworld. Most Duelists using Tour Guide run 3 copies, so if you banish one of them from the field with Chain Disappearance, there's a good chance you'll banish a couple more from your opponent's hand and Deck, too.
If weak monsters are beating you in Duels, think about using Chain Disappearance to take them down. Chain Disappearance attacks an opponent's hand, field, and Deck to wipe out multiple threats at once.


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Respond to Review of Habanita
by Nicky
Review: I visited this restaurant on the advice of other users of this site and have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with the positive reviews that it has been given. We received a genuinely warm welcome (the proprieter spoke good English and presented us with menus in Eng and Spanish w vegan/veg options clearly marked), the food was delicious and served very quickly, the place itself is cosy, bright and clean and had at least one highchair, the veggie menu was extensive but there was plenty of meat options to keep my carnivore husband happy, and for a bonus it is only 10 mins walk from the cathedral in Seville (you do need a decent map to find it though). You can have a variety of portion sizes (tapas, rationes and full meal size) for most dishes and although the dessert menu was limited on the day to 3 cakes the white chocolate cake that I chose was to die for. The price was comparable to most tapas places, I certainly felt that it was neither too expensive nor particularly cheap. As an eg of dishes I had: roasted goats cheese and jam, Roquefort croquettes (very yummy), Leek, courgette and feta cheesecake and Habanita aubergine bake - all as tapas sizes - they were about 2.50e each and came with bread. I hope you try it and I hope you love it as much as we did, a real find!
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I totally agree:yes:......I've said the same thing for years:yes:....Bring back the late 70's logo...Just update it alittle bit but keep the colors that it was.
One game at a time.Things can swing either way,we just never know.
Yes it does but hopefully some other team picks him up.
Just seen on the Bills website that he was released.
540 AM Out of Fort Dodge
Try KIKD 106.7 FM Carroll's country station.Listening to it right know........GO CYCLONES
Sorry,My bad....Hit the I button one to many times.
Quite a few have gone to Northwest Missouri State.Which isn't to far from Harlan.A very good football program down there.In Division III.
1. Minnesota 2.Tennessee 3.Wyoming 4.Oregon St. 5.UTEP
Some photos of the Cyclones uniforms and helmet....First photo was in 1975 game against Nebraska....Notice on the back of the helmet....Bring back this helmet and instead of ISU in the I put State...
Thank You Jamie.....You've done a GREAT JOB.....Super Hire in Paul Rhoads...I will support you and Coach Rhoads 100%.....Now spend some time with the family....You deserve it....Have A Very Merry...
I'am Leaving On A Jet Plane
Don't Look Back-Boston
Turn it into a huge beer mug and celebrate....when Alabama kicks Auburn's Butt......lol
Might as well go after the Detroit Lions head coach then....LOL
Herm Edwards!!!!No way!!!!!I'am a Chiefs fan and want him and King Carl out of Kansas City,as so many Chiefs fans want...He has done nothing in Kansas City....He has destroyed the Chiefs...You can't...
I've been a Cyclone fan since the the Johnny Majors era and I've seen my share of good and bad Cyclone teams.I hate too say it but mainly bad teams but I still will cheer for the Cyclones through...
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Book your room at Howard Johnson Inn and Suites Jacksonville FL
Please enter your travel dates.
Get an overview of this hotelJacksonville motel in Southpoint with free breakfast and 24-hour front desk
Located in Southpoint, this motel is 0.8 mi (1.3 km) from Saint Luke's Hospital and within 3 mi (5 km) of Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville and Wurn Park. St. Johns Town Center and Memorial Hospital Jacksonville are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Property Features
This motel features coffee/tea in the lobby, conference rooms, and meeting rooms. Free continental breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, concierge services, dry cleaning, and laundry facilities are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 106 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus free WiFi and TVs with cable channels. Balconies or patios, coffee makers, and free local calls are among the other amenities available to guests.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. Event facilities include conference space and meeting rooms. This Jacksonville motel also offers multilingual staff, coffee/tea in the lobby, and concierge services. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 106
- Number of floors - 3
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free breakfast
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Free WiFi
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Free self parking
- Free RV, bus, truck parking
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, Free RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Premium TV channels
- Air conditioning
- Balcony or patio
- Climate control
- Access via exterior corridors
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Iron/ironing board
- Television
- Desk
- Cable TV service
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Free WiFi
- Microwave
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast each morning.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Pets allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 2
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Hotel Name
We should mention
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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Link -the hero of time by LiKovacsWatch
©2005-2015 LiKovacs
Find more on my Facebook page!
(photo taken in 2005)
ok, well i guess this is my first pic to go in my gallery. This is my link costume that ive worked on for a very long time. Its been worked on since 1998, but there are some things i have remade already, but so far this is one of my favorite pics of this costume.
pic was taken by my dad at consplayers.com
link (c) the gods (nintendo)
made / worn by me.
(photo taken in 2005)
ok, well i guess this is my first pic to go in my gallery. This is my link costume that ive worked on for a very long time. Its been worked on since 1998, but there are some things i have remade already, but so far this is one of my favorite pics of this costume.
pic was taken by my dad at consplayers.com
link (c) the gods (nintendo)
made / worn by me.
OOT Link's Soul Calibur 2 pose!
Brings back memories of good ole times!
Brings back memories of good ole times!
lol left hand
what a great picture of you! this picture reminds me of the ocarina of time remake for the 3ds!
Those ears are fantastic. Did you buy them or make them? I'm going to be ocarina of Time Zelda at Otakon this year and I really want a nice set of ears, but my first attempt at making them has not been so good. The ones at Ardani just aren't quite right for Hylian ears.
Damn, looks great!! Hee hee, love the tights!!
it looks just like the 3DS game!
Amazing cosplay!! Where did you get the material from?
Oh my gawd... that is so awesome You really do make Link come to life
You look like you just jumped out of the game! Really great job!
Amazing! I love the boots!
me too
You're awesome as Link!
Your hips are too wide to pull off a guy.
Dude i must admit it, you look like Link
I lol @ FloRaven for thinking Pikminlink is a guy.
Dude, if a Zelda movie is ever made.. I hope to god that you're cast as Link, because not only do you look exactly like him, but you have his gear as well
Hi, Link! You look awesome. Now go save Princess Zelda from the evil Ganondorf! The fate of Hyrule rests in your hands. And tell that annoying fairy (Navi) to SHUT UP!
how did you make the gauntlets and boots?
I see. My mistake, then. But it looked a lot like this. Maybe this person was just selling one.
There are a lot of people that make and sell OoT Link costumes but most of them are a lesser quality because they are mass produced. I don't make commissions or sell any of mine. All of my cosplays are made by me. Commissions just take too much time to deal with.
W-What?! I almost bought a costume like this! Weirdddddd? XD
hi i have a question for you how you make the belt of the sword my litle sister want to cosplay link so y i doing her cosplay but no idea how to make that belt what you use and of what are make the boot if you can answer me please
Wow this was taken 5 years ago!? You look the same as you alwase do though? But I'm geusing you are 17 now from your photos. You cant be in your 20s....can you?
O____O wow,....this is like looking at Link if he were in real life!..you pull it off well
I love this set of pictures iv never seen cosplay done so well!!!!!
I have such costume envy right now. Your Link cosplay is 1000000000x better than mine or anyone else's.
seriously you're WAY too goodXP
lol @ you thinking those are hose tights.
dont hose tights hurt your balls? XP
oooo I like :3
I love how this person was banned from DeviantART.
why are you so ugly
Ew, hate that smiley. Change it to this:
Dude, this is hot. Haha. I love OoT Link. You should do more pictures of this version of him!
very good
buena imagen
very good
buena imagen
Thats really awesome, what made you such a fan of Link?
this is amazing!
Hero of time Link is always the best .
dannnng! this is so perfect my jaw hits the floor!
awesome @_@
dear god link is real XD
dear god link is real XD
Best cosplay to Legend of Zelda ever.
You are officially the best cosplay of ANY character I have ever seen.
10,000/5 stars; this is incredible!
10,000/5 stars; this is incredible!
yamn!! this is a awesome costume >w<!!!
Wow, it captures the Ocarina Link art perfectly.
You got his SC2 pose and look down. Check you out!
lol i was young when i started, but that depends on if you want that in hylian years


text:
You are about to go to a non-NYULMC website.
Biosketch / Results /
Andrea VazzanaClinical Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry;Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
NYU Child Study Center
Contact Info
1 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Research InterestsBariatric psychology
Psychological outcomes of bariatric surgery in morbidly obese adolescents
Vazzana, Andrea D
2012-02-05; 1082-6319,Primary psychiatry - id: 100656, year: 2008
A pregnant woman victimized by physical abuse
Thompson, John W; Vazzana, Andrea D
2012-02-05; 0002-838X,American family physician - id: 65981, year: 2002 Case Reports; Journal Article
Outcome expectations and outcome values of proactive, reactive and nonaggressive boys
Vazzana, Andrea Dawn
2012-02-05; 0419-4217,Dissertation abstracts international. Section B: the sciences & engineering - id: 67586, year: 2001
Vazzana, Andrea D
2012-02-05; , - id: 1946, year: 1993


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Save iPhone Email Attachments to iCloud Drive for Better Access Anywhere
iOS: When you get an email attachment in iOS, chances are it's something you need to deal with in another app. To make things a little easier on yourself, OS X Daily points out that saving that attachment to iCloud Drive makes the process a little smoother. »


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Postseason W-L Added to Manager Records – Baseball-Reference.com
Posted by sean on April 14, 2014
Example: Casey Stengel Managerial Record - Baseball-Reference.com.
Added a couple of columns showing the manager postseason W-L records.
This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2014 at 5:06 pm and is filed under Announcement, Baseball-Reference.com. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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- Filed Under
Marilyn K. Dashler, 77 CHESTERFIELD - Marilyn K. Dashler, 77, of Chesterfield, died October 13, 2013 at Millers Merry Manor in Chesterfield following an extended illness.She was born December 2, 1935 in Chesterfield, the daughter of Emerson and Sue Crosley. She attended Daleville High School. She was a homemaker and mother; was a member and active as a greeter and in the Circle at Bethany Christian Church, served on the board of Millcreek Community Center, and was a member of the Red Hat Society and Domino Dollies.Survivors include, two sons, Ronald Dashler (fiancée Laura Koger) of Anderson, and Phillip Lee (Kristen) Dashler of Muncie; a daughter, Robin Renee Dashler of Nicholasville, KY; 7 grandchildren, Brandon (Danielle) Dashler, Kelsi (Mark) Goodman, Lauren (Ricky) Bradshaw, Megan Dashler, Brianna Dashler, Karli Byerly, and Emily Dashler; 10 great grandchildren; a sister, Debbie (David) Johnson of Florida; and several nieces and nephewsShe was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Dashler; parents; sister, Carolyn Williamson; and half brother, Jimmy Crosley.Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at Rozelle Johnson Funeral Service, officiated by Bob Bell. Burial will follow at Bronnenberg Cemetery in Chesterfield.Visitation will be Wednesday, October 16, from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. The family would like to offer a special thank you to Miller's Merry Manor in Chesterfield for their loving care in Marilyn's final years.Memorial contributions may be given to Millcreek Community Center in Chesterfield.Post online condolences at http://www.rozelle-johnson.com


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Awesome: The Girl Cant Help It
Inexact title. See the list below. We don't have an article named Awesome/TheGirlCantHelpIt, exactly. We do have:
If you meant one of those, just click and go. If you want to start a Awesome/TheGirlCantHelpIt page, just click the edit button above. Be careful, though, the only things that go in the Main namespace are tropes. Don't put in redirects for shows, books, etc.. Use the right namespace for those.


text:
THE death of Stalin lifted from the Russian people a massive burden of fear which had weighed upon them for more than two decades. His had been a rule of terror, with the dreaded secret police watching and spying in every sector of Russian life. Set against the universal fear inspired by the purges and liquidations there was, however, an awed admiration for Stalin as the leader under whom Russia had acquired a powerful heavy industry and had emerged victorious from a desperately fought war. On the morrow of the entry of the Russian army into Berlin it is probable that feelings of admiration exceeded those of repulsion among the great majority of Russians. But by 1953 there was a general desire, both among the masses and in the Party itself, for a more relaxed way of living, and when the preliminary exposure of the "Doctors' Plot" indicated that a great new purge was about to begin, alarm and despondency spread through all the population. In the midst of a growing anxiety about what the future was about to bring, Stalin had a cerebral haemorrhage and died.
"Destalinization" began almost immediately. The Doctors' Plot was declared to have been fabricated by the secret police. Since it implicated leading members of the Party, Stalin's successors could not do otherwise than declare the evidence to be false. But by so doing they discredited the secret police to a degree which could not but greatly reduce their status and power. Since the instrument was thus damaged, it became harder for anyone, however much he might wish to do so, to carry on the government by the methods Stalin had used.


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The Village of Sant'Angelo
The village of Sant'Angelo belongs to the municipality of Senigallia, in the province of Ancona, region Marche.
The village of Sant'Angelo is 2,79 kilometers far from the same town of Senigallia to whom it belongs.
To the municipality of Senigallia also belong the localities of Alfonsi (7,18 km), Bettolelle (7,31 km), Borgo Bicchia (1,97 km), Borgo Castelli (5,06 km), Borgo Catena (3,66 km), Borgo Galluzzo (5,20 km), Borgo Passera (2,93 km), Brugnetto (8,57 km), Campetto (7,91 km), Cannella (5,33 km), Canneti (3,89 km), Case Becci (4,36 km), Case Benedetti (5,35 km), Case Bevilacqua (5,09 km), Case Calo' (8,36 km), Case Corinaldesi (4,49 km), Case Draga (9,32 km), Case Garbatini (7,91 km), Case Giannini (5,37 km), Case Romagnoli (7,23 km), Casette (6,76 km), Casine (11,25 km), Castellaro (8,77 km), Cesano (6,17 km), Cesano Bruciata (7,23 km), Cesano di Senigallia (5,89 km), Convento delle Grazie (3,39 km), Ferretti (1,25 km), Filetto (7,81 km), Folchi Vigi (2,88 km), Gabriella (4,54 km), Grancetta (10,33 km), Grottino (7,76 km), Il Casale (6,46 km), La Molinella (9,96 km), Le Vigne (5,30 km), Mandriola (2,04 km), Marcosignori (3,40 km), Marzocca (8,84 km), Marzocca di Senigallia (8,56 km), Montebianco Alto (4,23 km), Montignano (8,98 km), Montignano - Marzocca (8,85 km), Roncitelli (8,17 km), San Silvestro (6,29 km), Scapezzano (5,55 km), Soccorso (5,09 km), Vallone (4,45 km), Vasari (6,39 km).
The number in parentheses following each village name indicate the distance between the same village and the municipality of Senigallia.
The locality of Sant'Angelo rises 147 meters abobe sea level.
The population of Sant'Angelo counts 831 inhabitants.
Please find in what follows:
- A set of photos about Sant'Angelo (when available)
- Weather and weather forecast for the municipality of Senigallia, to whom Sant'Angelo belongs.
- Map and road map of Sant'Angelo
- A selection of videos about Sant'Angelo
- The latest news about Sant'Angelo, the municipality of Senigallia, the province of Ancona and the Marche region.
Where to stay in Sant'Angelo and its neighborhoods
Hotels, Resorts, B&B in Sant'Angelo and its neighborhoods.
You can arrange the results by number of stars, by popularity, by distance or even by the guest review score choosing among young couples, mature couples, families with young children, families with older children, people withfriends, or solo travellers.
Free ads in Sant'Angelo
Most recent free ads in Sant'Angelo, municipality of Senigallia, province of Ancona, Marche region, updated at 11:05:39, 27 November 2015. Place your free ad on Sant'Angelo: no registration needed. Place your free ad.
Up to now there is no free ad placed in Sant'Angelo
|Most recent free ads in the province of Ancona
|Prodotti tipici locali
|Ottimo prezzo
|Most recent free ads in the region Marche
|Arredamenti su misura
|country house
Photos of Sant'Angelo
Photos provided by Panoramio. Photos are under the copyright of their owners.
2008 - Senigallia - (campagna Marina)
Home Sweet Home
Frazione Mandriola
Gabriella Dal Cavallo
Regio Collegio Savoia Poi Gioventu' Italiana
Panorama Storico Da Via Mandriola
Edicola Sacra 709
Edicola Sacra 705
Lavatoio E Fonte Della Chiesina Del Crocifisso Della Valle
Parrucchiere Per Signore
Map and road map of Sant'Angelo
Look at the interactive map of Sant'Angelo and get the road maps, the satellite maps and the mixed ones too. Interactive maps of Sant'Angelo also allow an immediate view of: bar,restaurants,pubs,pizzerias,dancing,night clubs,banks,jewellers,beauty centers,hair stylists,supermarkets,pharmacies.
Just fill in the free text search box placed on top of the map with any of previous categories and then press enter.
Please feel free to use the same free text search box placed on top of the map to find any kind of business activities you're interested into.


text:
Can someone please explain my payslip to me?(9 Posts)
VivaLeBeaver Thu 20-Dec-12 18:37:22
agedknees Thu 20-Dec-12 18:35:56
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MeDented Tue 18-Dec-12 20:14:05
Mbear Tue 18-Dec-12 20:11:13
VivaLeBeaver Tue 18-Dec-12 20:08:32
VivaLeBeaver Tue 18-Dec-12 18:44:56
VivaLeBeaver Tue 18-Dec-12 18:28:50
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Welcome to Tropical Dynamics at North Carolina State University. Our lab is in the department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Our research interests include tropical waves, cyclones, and climate variability.
Image above: A montage of the precursor to tropical cyclone Earl (1998) shown roughly every two days as it marches across the Atlantic from the coast of North Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.
[firstname.lastname@example.com] [919.515.7973]


text:
Providing research-based beef production information to beef producers in the Driftless Region of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
On February 4 and 5, 2016, Extension specialists in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are again cooperating to present the 4th annual Driftless Region Beef Conference at the Grand River Convention Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
Each year this conference brings together beef producers for an educational program that focuses on the needs of this production region. Last year over 20 sponsors provided displays and were available to discuss the services they provide.
- Attend breakout sessions and select from a menu of dfferent workshops to find topics for your operation.
- Visit sponsor exhibits and learn about the products and services they offer.
- Visit with fellow beef producers from the region.
The conference program and registration information will be announced in November 2015. The planning committee is working hard to bring in experts and topics of interest to Driftless Region cattle producers.


text:
I yam what I yam and I yam what I yam that I yam / And I got a lotta muscle and I only gots one eye / And I'll never hurt nobodys and I'll never tell a lie
Santa goes… whatever that look is supposed to be.
After keeping it in check for over 50 years, Robin Williams' hair is finally starting to devour him.
Robin Williams' hair kept what in check for over 50 years?
Or did you mean, "After keeping it in check for over 50 years, Robin Williams is finally being devoured by his hair"?
Tomayto, Tomahto.
Hair, kudzu.
Robin Williams, it's not a purse, it's a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.
Santa DOES have off days!
Joachim Phoenix?
He looks like he's going to nut punch the next person who says "nanu nanu" to him.
A drunken homeless man with AIDS leaving the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraiser in New York City. (April 26, 2011)
[witty Grizzly Adams comment]
Hey, Denver Pyle! Where's #7 at?
"yeah, and grizzly adams had a beard!" "Grizzly Adams DID have a beard!"
Seems he always wears shirts with hearts on them
Randy Quaid?
Robin Williams missed his nose completely this morning. Too busy telling himself jokes.
Father Christmas!
Look at the bag—the cross on it! Parry found the Holy Grail after all!
(look it up)
I love that movie.
I am really grossed out by this.
Jesus, just take off the mask, put it in your manbag and stop following the camera.
Having been inadvertently released from the psych ward on a work furlough, Seymour Parrish, hits the road to seek revenge on his accusers!
How many loads did it take to create that heart design?
francis ford coppola!


text:
Mark J. Robertshaw
Bookkeeper, Production Manager & Expeditor.
In a nutshell:
I'm a fully qualified bookkeeper, currently working for two larger firms and also have my own private business servicing the accounts needs of smaller "one man bands". All the information about my services and how I may be able to help you can be found on my website at mjrbookkeeping.co.uk why don't you check it out!
I'm also a production manager for manufacturing. Experienced in both CNC machine shops and foundries. I have worked on both small and large scale production lines. Further to that I am also experienced in expediting. I have worked companies in the nuclear industry expediting their orders to sub contact suppliers.
I have an online store selling gifts, furnishings and accessories for the house and home - enter CLOVER12 at checkout for 10% off - www.clovergarden.co.uk
I'm also a PAT Tester!
I have a great network of friends from all four corners of the world who I love. I enjoy socialising with them regularly.
My passion is travelling - wanting to see as much of the world before my time is up is top on my to-do list, other things on my to-do list are skydiving and dive on a naval wreck.


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Addition of a children's play area, including a jungle gym, seemed a natural extension of 15 years in the educational-supplies business for the owners of ERGADOO in Springfield.
Addition of a children's play area, including a jungle gym, seemed a natural extension of 15 years in the educational-supplies business for the owners of ERGADOO in Springfield.
Work is well along on the addition to the store at 1320 S. State St. Husband-wife owners Stephen Briggs and Susan Clause said the goal is to open the facility on the south side of the existing store in September.
"We call it a creative play center," Briggs said. Both he and Clause are former teachers.
The addition will be known as Ergadoozy. "It's going to be a doozy," Clause said.
Clause said Ergadoo is a madeup name inspired by their toddler when they were contemplating names for the shop. The shop specializes in education supplies for public and private schools, and day cares.
The play area will include the 25-foot-high jungle gym that fills most of one room. A hand-pedaled train will run below the jungle gym. There also will be party rooms and a special play area for toddlers.
Briggs and Clause said the goal is to build foot traffic by creating a place for children and families to get together.
"We have a lot of neighborhood people who shop here," Briggs said.
There will be one entrance fee for the day, including leaving and returning. Group discounts also will be offered.
The couple said they expect construction of a Hy-Vee supermarket on the site of the former Kmart on MacArthur Boulevard to draw additional shoppers to the area. They expect to add six to 10 employees, full and part time, to the two part-timers who work there now.
The Ergadoo phone number is 544-9466. The website is www.ergadoo.com.
HALVERSON CONSTRUCTION CO. of Springfield has been awarded three bid packages for conversion of the former Kmart on MacArthur Boulevard to a Hy-Vee supermarket.
The bids include redoing the Kmart building for the supermarket, and demolition of the former Spillway Lanes bowling alley, Town & Country Shell and the former TitleMax building. Hy-Vee plans to use the infrastructure of the old Kmart building for the supermarket.
On a related note, a pile of dirt had to be brought in for Monday's ceremonial groundbreaking on the asphalt parking lot. The construction fence also has gone up.
Not many barbershops have a '66 Impala Super Sport in the waiting area. The classic car fits the theme of PRECISION BARBERS, 230 South Grand Ave. E., said owner Trevor Miller.
The shop has opened in remodeled space that most recently was home to Multistate Transmissions.
Miller also moved his other businesses to the new location — Precision Detailing for cars, trucks boats, campers and RVs;1 Up'n limousine and party buses, and Grasshopper Lawn Care.
Page 2 of 2 - The barbershop number is 416-0857.
Bids are scheduled to be opened July 1 for facade work and replacement of storefront windows at the MOTOR INN PARKING building at Fourth and Monroe streets.
Developer Bob Barker of Springfield indicated recently the work should be completed this fall.
Ribbon cuttings through The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce:
* EDWARD JONES financial services office, 40 Adloff Lane, Suite 7; scheduled for Tuesday, July 9.
* CAPITOL CHIROPRACTIC, 3631 S. Sixth St., Suite B; held Tuesday.
* LONG BRIDGE GOLF COURSE, 1055 Camp Sangamo Road; new tent for events; scheduled for Wednesday, July 17.
VERIZON WIRELESS is the first tenant in a strip center north of Scheels. The walls are up for ENGRAINED BREWING CO. south of Scheels. The microbrewery and restaurant is expected to open by early fall.
Springfield is a leading place to build and a cheap place to live, according to a couple of those national rating surveys that come out periodically.
AREA DEVELOPMENT, a site selection and facility planning publication, rated the city 28th among 380 communities nationwide as a "Leading Location" for new facilities. The ratings were based on 21 economic and work-force indicators.
KIPLINGER PERSONAL FINANCE rated Springfield eighth among the 10 "cheapest places to live" nationwide based on costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, health care and goods and services.
Tim Landis can be reached at 788-1536. Follow him at twitter.com/timlandisSJR. Listen to his business report Tuesday afternoon at 4:45 and Wednesday morning at 8:20 during The WUIS/SJ-R Business Report on WUIS 91.9 FM, 89.3 FM and WUIS.org, or online at www.sj-r.com.
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Location, ST | website.com


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Here I am again, in the stage where I am always present – FAILURE. What am I to do? Of course I try to work things out, give a little time for this, give a little time for that, succeed initially then BAM! I fell again.
Unmistakably GuidedStandard
Living in a non-Christian family, I have a hard time balancing my ministries in the campus and it's even harder to ask permission to go on a mission trip; last year I actually asked to go to one but my mom said that I could only go after I graduate, and that is why it is a big blessing for me that my parents allowed me this time to go to Iloilo for the camp. Before the camp, I was actually hesitant to go, mainly because of financial restraints, but as a mentor once said before, "Money should be the least of your problems when it comes to God. (Non-verbatim)", and truly it is because the Lord really provided me with enough pocket money and this money was not even spent much because of all the blessings and the resources God has provided along the trip. Another reason is because I barely know the team, but God allowed us to know each other and even disproved my self –diagnosed social problems.
During the trip, God really devised everything in a way that we could really feel his presence and guidance; this includes waiting in the terminal, being late for the departure of the jeep because of a free buffet, and even being the object of the rage of a dog. If I were to pick my highlights of this journey, these would be the Bonfire Night and the Awards Ceremony, , though truthfully the whole trip is really a blast! Surely, he planned and crafted every event for us to grow in Him, and let Him be glorified!
I believe that we were invited to help the youth ministry in Iloilo with this ministry and be a blessing to the youth there, but they are a blessing for the whole team as well. The whole trip reminded me of several promises of God: 1) He instructs, guides, and teaches us (Psalm 328) 2) He really knows our life (Jeremiah 29:11) 3) Importance of serving with your spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10-11) 4) The importance of devotions (Luke 5:16,Mark 1:35,Matthew 14:23) and 5) Submission to God (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Truly, I tell you all that as long as you have lifted yourself upon the Lord, you will surely be guided into the right path, just as I was and is being guided to the way to his Kingdom.
Series BreakStandard
I should have done this a long time ago, but I haven't really been able to manage my time properly these past months. For now, I will stop my lovestruck series mainly because my laptop is broken, but I would still post some experiences that I would like to share in place of that. See you soon!
LOVESTRUCK WHITE SERIES : CHAPTER 2Image
Kung ang previous post ko ay about sa fake o pekeng love, tingnan naman natin kung ano nga ba ang true love or tunay na pagmamahal. Kung gusto talaga natin malaman kung ano talaga ang love, why not itanong natin ang nagimbento dito: the one and only God!
Sabi nga ni Juan: For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
For God so loved…
– Mahal na mahal na mahal niya tayo, maging sino pa man tayo. Lahat ng kanyang plano ay para sa ating ikabubuti.
The World…
– ang mundo na nagmana ng unang pagkakasala ng unang couple na ginawa ni God
That He gave His only begotten Son…
-pero dahil He so loves us, he gave us something: the salvation we are all waiting for, Jesus Christ, his Son, the salvation for our sins.
that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life…
– You are the way, the truth and the life. And He is given to us as a gift, for free! Ang hinihintay na lang ay i-accept ang kanyang request.
God is the perfect example to be the model of someone who loves perfectly. Though hindi natin ito mapapantayan, it should not stop us from Loving.
Interested pa? You can read more about this on:
> Lovestruck : Love Mo Siya, Sure Ka Ba? by Ronald Molmisa
> Movement Life : http://www.movementlife.org
> Something Amazing : http://somethingamazing.net
> Cru : http://www.cru.org
> The Bible
Lovestruck White Series : Chapter 1Standard
Seven Signs of Pekeng(Fake) Love
1) The Axe Effect – infatuation na dahil lamang sa pisikal(physical) na anyo
2) Kisapmata – it starts and ends fast
3) Crazy for you – siya lang ang nasa isip hanggang sa mabaliw ka na at matuliro
4) Just the two of us – kayo lang nasa mundo ninyo at wala na ibang bagay ang mahalaga
5) Need-you-here sickness – distansya lang ang katapat
6) Kung-ayaw-mo-huwag-mo problem – " I am on the top of your world" ; walang effect ang break-up
7) Akin-ka-lang attitude – possesive pronoun ang peg
According sa book, ito ang ilang signs na "maaaring" peke nga ang inyong pagmamahalan. Honestly, I do believe na maaaring mali nga o peke ang inyong pagmamahal kung karamihan sa mga ito ay makikita sa inyong relasyon. So, masasabi mo na bang love siya? Sure ka na talaga? Stay tuned para mas marami pang tips, signs, warnings at words of wisdom na galing sa libro, Ciao!
"Kung si Jacob nga nakapagcommit at naghintay ng 14 years, tayo pa kaya?"
How a Bible verse out of context spawned a belief system.Standard
We should always put things under a correct context
Lovestruck: Love Mo Siya, Sure Ka Ba?Image
For a couple of days, I will be posting some excerpts and insights from this book by Ronald Molmisa! Hopefully you and I can learn many things from this but until then, just wait for first post or better, buy this book. Ciao!


text:
Natural gas customers will see an increase in their August bills .
The state public service commission approved a request by Atmos Energy Corp. to raise its rates.
Atmos was granted a 2.4-percent increase in annual revenue from natural gas base rates.
Customers will see an increase in their monthly customer charge from $7.50 to $9.35.
Atmos' last base rate increase was granted in Dec., 1999.
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text:
were can i get 1.56a cus i cant even play anymore
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were can i get 1.56a cus i cant even play anymore
its good but now i cant stand to play it cus theres too many little kids mic spamming
soon as this comes out me and a few of my friends are gonna dl it and play that instead of evo blue lol
would be easier if the guy you had to floow in the begining didnt walk like a ******* retard he made me walk in zig zags and i was like WTF stop making my walk like a dip **** its hard enought that im blind lol
the ending was Epic with a capital E
lol wouldnt matter if its dead anymore theres already a real ghost busters game coming out it was on E3 08
too bad they threw this mod out for a shity BF2 mod that nobody cares about
is there a way to configure hammer editor to make you own maps?
is this mod still active or has it Died cus it would have been fun
this game is gonna be so ownage when it comes out
is a good mod but more maps would be nice i beat sands and training and too tired to finish crashed but all in all its fun as hell even has a built in mp3 player =p
D3 may be coming out but in how long.when they said SC2 would be coming out when they announced it but it took them a hell of a lot longer then they said it would be. looks like i gotta go find another rpg mod T_T.
wasted time by dling this no servers are there anymore
is this dead now or is it still kicking?