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
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Mainland
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Sources and Credits
- (c) boxedeagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
- (c) Liam O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liam O'Brien
- (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
- (c) Lee Cain, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lee Cain
- (c) Corey Lange, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Corey Lange
- (c) Rob Irwin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rob Irwin
- (c) Jamie Bettaso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jamie Bettaso
- Adapted by Philippe Blais from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaritifera_falcata
- (c) Philippe Blais, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
