Western Pearlshell

Margaritifera falcata

Diagnostics 8

SHELL

  • size: medium to moderately large. maximum 125 mm in length.
  • thickness: moderately thick
  • shape: long-oval, with ventral margin straight to progressively concave in most adults, giving a banana-shaped appearance.
  • width: moderately inflated
  • surface: smooth, with concentric growth lines.
  • beaks: protrude slightly above hinge line, but almost always prematurely and severely dissolved.
  • color/markings: periostracum dark brown to black
  • sexual dimorphism: none
  • pseudocardinal teeth: well developed
  • lateral teeth: very weakly developed or absent
  • nacre: evenly purple. pitting at the end of shallow furrows radiating from beak at mid-cavity usually present

Soft parts: White

Similar species/lookalikes: Very distinctive within it's Canadian range. No other species in western provinces has well developed pseudocardinals, purple nacre, or a concave ventral margin.

DISTRIBUTION/WATERSHEDS 9

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver Island

-

-

Mainland

-

-

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) boxedeagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  2. (c) Liam O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liam O'Brien
  3. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  4. (c) Lee Cain, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lee Cain
  5. (c) Corey Lange, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Corey Lange
  6. (c) Rob Irwin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rob Irwin
  7. (c) Jamie Bettaso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jamie Bettaso
  8. Adapted by Philippe Blais from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaritifera_falcata
  9. (c) Philippe Blais, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalist.ca Map