As has been advocated for other Margaritiferidae bivalves, an integrative conservation strategy that identifies and sustains ecological processes and evolutionary lineages is urgently needed to protect and manage this imperiled species [41]. The main conservation priorities for the Indochinese pearl mussel in the Nam Pe and Nam Long rivers include: 1) habitat conservation, including establishment of nature reserves within each river basin, 2) imposing a legislative ban on Indochinese pearl mussel harvest in Laos and neighbouring countries (Myanmar and Vietnam), 3) inventorying the distribution and current status of populations in Northern Laos (Nam Ou River Basin) and Northern Myanmar (Salween River Basin), and 4) identifying the glochidia host fish and describing key life history traits.