salamander mussel
Simpsonaias ambigua
Diagnostics 6
SHELL
- size: very small to small
- thickness: thin in posterior, thickened in anterior
- shape: elliptical, elongate, both ends rounded. dorsal and ventral margins straight and parallel.
- width: lightly inflated
- surface: smooth
- beaks: slightly elevated. sculptures: 4-5 fine/obscured V-shaped ridges
- color/markings: uniform tan to dark brown; rayless
- sexual dimorphism: none
- pseudocardinal teeth: very small, flattened
- lateral teeth: absent
- nacre: white, salmon towards beaks
Soft parts: white
Similar species/lookalikes: The diminutive size, hinge dentition and thickened anterior shell usually makes identification of this rare species straightforward. Could initially resemble young floaters, but only one of those, the alewife floater, shares a thickened anterior shell but lacks any hinge teeth, and its distribution is far removed from the former.
DISTRIBUTION/WATERSHEDS 7
ONTARIO
- Sydenham R.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Philippe Blais, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Philippe Blais
- (c) Matthew Ireland, all rights reserved, uploaded by Matthew Ireland
- (c) Andrew Hoffman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/71701055@N00/8955448724/
- (c) Pat Deacon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pat Deacon
- (c) Scott Gibson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Scott Gibson
- Adapted by Philippe Blais from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsonaias_ambigua
- (c) Philippe Blais, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
