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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Threeridge
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(Amblema plicata) Say, 1817
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K.S. Cummings, Illinois Natural History Survey |
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Bluepoint; Purple-tip; Fluter
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Small to large rivers and impoundments in mud, sand, or gravel.
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Up to 7 inches (17.8 cm).
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Brown, dark green, or black in adults. Young mussels are green, yellowish-green, or light brown.
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Pearly white, often with staining. Iridescent or purple color on the long end of the shell.
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Slightly longer than wide and oval-shaped or rounded. The shell edge is straight along the point where the two shell halves join. The end of the shell farthest from the beak comes to a rounded point.
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Wavy. There are three low ridges (rarely four), spaced equally apart along the shell surface. All ridges point in the direction of the longest end of the shell (measured from the beak, which is the swelling above where the two shell halves join). The outer surface along the shell end near the beak has no ridges. Threeridge specimens without ridges do occur but are rare and can be easily mistaken for the endangered Higgins’ Eye.
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Adult shell brown or black. Juvenile shell tending toward green. Heavy, moderately large shell. Beak sculpture: several concentric rings not extending onto disc. Adult shell with approx. Three wide ridges.
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Northern Pike, Shortnose Gar, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Yellow Perch, White Crappie
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Widespread and common throughout most of its range.
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Did You Know?
At Lake Itasca, the elevation of the Mississippi River is 1,475 feet above sea level. It drops to sea level at the Gulf of Mexico. More than half of that drop occurs within the state of Minnesota.
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Last Updated: September 20, 2006 at 14:44 EST |