Freshwater
Molluscan Shells
Backlit image of a shell, Megalonaias
nervosa (Rafinesque,1820) the "Washboard",
showing growth rings
and corrugated sculpture. Single valve and reflection.
Ambleminae
The ambleminae include a number of
the most interesting as well as thick-shelled and
commercially important species. All North American
genera and species of this subfamily, as defined by
Burch, are native to waters that drain directly or
indirectly into the Gulf of Mexico.
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Tritogonia verrucosa (Rafinesque,1820)
"Pistolgrip"
Widespread in American Midwest. |
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Quadrula metanevra
(Rafinesque,1820)
"Monkeyface",
American Midwest. |
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Quadrula pustulosa (Lea, 1831)
and detail of hinge teeth. The
"Pimpleback"
is widespread in the American Midwest. |
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Quadrula quadrula
(Rafinesque,1820)
"Mapleleaf".
Widespread in American Midwest. |
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| Fusconaia ebena
(Lea, 1831) "Ebonyshell". |
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Fusconaia flava
(Rafinesque,1820)
"Wabash Pigtoe" and
detail of the hinge teeth, below |
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Amblema plicata (Say, 1817), "Threeridge"
Large-river form. The small-river form is
larger
and looks very much like the
"Washboard", below.
However, A. plicata is always smooth
on the thick
anterior part of the shell, while
corrugations on the
washboard often cover the entire shell. Widespread and extremely variable
throughout
the North American midcontinent.
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Meglaonaias nervosa
(Rafinesque,1820).
"Washboard".
Widespread in the larger rivers
of the American Midwest. |
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