Photos / Sounds
What
Lithasia fuliginosaObserver
dbarclayDescription
Alive in edge of water. 15 to 20mm
Photos / Sounds
What
Silty Hornsnail (Pleurocera canaliculata)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Dead on gravel bar.
Photos / Sounds
What
Painted Creekshell (Cambarunio taeniatus)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Dead on gravel bar.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cumberland Moccasinshell (Medionidus conradicus)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Several, dead on gravel bar. Smaller shell is a juvenile, still showing pattern. Larger, heavily eroded shell is a typical adult.
Photos / Sounds
What
Purple Lilliput (Toxolasma lividum)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Dead on gravel bar.
Photos / Sounds
What
Spike (Eurynia dilatata)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Dead on gravel bar. I don't know if this is a short, deformed E. dilatata, a dwarf E. crassidens, or something else. It appears gerontic, in any case. About 30mm long.
Photos / Sounds
What
Pink Heelsplitter (Potamilus alatus)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Dead on gravel bar
What
Latirus amplustreObserver
dbarclayDescription
Dominant fasciolariid on the hard reef. This species is rare elsewhere, but is one of the most common carnivores on the hard reef, lower intertidal and shallow subtidal, around Kiritimati.
Photos / Sounds
What
Peristernia squamosaObserver
dbarclayDescription
Subtidal, mostly 10 to 15 meters deep. Rare.
Photos / Sounds
What
Peristernia violaceaObserver
dbarclayDescription
Subtidal, mostly 10 to 15 meters deep. Shells were generally encrusted, but when encrustations were removed the iridescent periostracum was visible when wet. Iridescence ranged from greenish silver to gold depending on lighting. This species was practically lost to science, since the locality was only "Pacific Islands," although it is not rare at scuba depth under coral slabs around Christmas Island, Kiribati. It is likely a Line Island endemic. Thanks to Bill Lyons for tracking down the original publications and ID. No thanks to the authors, on both the internet and in print, who took these photos and removed the copyright notes and incorrectly claim they represent specimens collected in the Andaman Islands, which they certainly do not.
What
Peristernia gemmataObserver
dbarclayDescription
Shallow water on reef flat, mostly under slabs. Shells were generally encrusted, but when encrustations were removed the iridescent periostracum was visible when wet. Uncommon.
What
Turrilatirus irisObserver
dbarclayDescription
Shallow water on reef flat, mostly under slabs. Shells were generally encrusted, but when encrustations were removed the iridescent periostracum was visible when wet. Iridescence still returns when shell is wet. Common reef species.
Photos / Sounds
What
Southern Rainbow (Villosa vibex)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Makes me wonder if there are multiple Villosa species in the Ohoopee, or if V. delumbis is just more variable than I realized.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus VillosaObserver
dbarclayDescription
Glossy perio, much more so than the female V. delumbis shells.
Photos / Sounds
What
Ebonyshell (Reginaia ebenus)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead shells on gravel bar with grass, most had apparently been dragged out by animals but very few of the thick-shelled species appeared to have been penetrated. Most appeared very recently dead, a few had tissue remnants, some were oxidized and had been dead quite a while. I suppose these pink nacred shells are Pleurobema sintoxia, although I have seen various authors refer to them by different names. The white ones may also be the same species, but there are differences in shape, shell thickness, periostracum, and degree of shell inflation. I need some verification on all of them.
This one is heaviest of all the shells I'm posting from the Black River. It's kind of heptagonal/angularly oval, white nacre but not as plain white as large R. ebenus, so I guess it's a Pleurobema. Whether it's P. sintoxia or something else, maybe one of you can tell me.
Photos / Sounds
What
Ebonyshell (Reginaia ebenus)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead shells on gravel bar with grass, most had apparently been dragged out by animals but very few of the thick-shelled species appeared to have been penetrated. Most appeared very recently dead, a few had tissue remnants, some were oxidized and had been dead quite a while.
Although this species resembles the local Pleurobema species, I think this one is correctly ID'ed.
Photos / Sounds
What
Pigtoes and Clubshells (Genus Pleurobema)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead shells on gravel bar with grass, most had apparently been dragged out by animals but very few of the thick-shelled species appeared to have been penetrated. Most appeared very recently dead, a few had tissue remnants, some were oxidized and had been dead quite a while. I suppose these pink nacred shells are Pleurobema sintoxia, although I have seen various authors refer to them by different names. The white ones may also be the same species, but there are differences in shape, shell thickness, periostracum, and degree of shell inflation. I need some verification on all of them.
This one was white inside, compressed, more delicate shell, showed broader growth lines on a lighter periostracum. Years ago I compared it to specimens of P. cordatum (occasionally synonymized with P. sintoxia), but by the present definition I don't think it occurs in Arkansas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Round Pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead shells on gravel bar with grass, most had apparently been dragged out by animals but very few of the thick-shelled species appeared to have been penetrated. Most appeared very recently dead, a few had tissue remnants, some were oxidized and had been dead quite a while. I suppose these pink nacred shells are Pleurobema sintoxia, although I have seen various authors refer to them by different names. The white ones may also be the same species, but there are differences in shape, shell thickness, periostracum, and degree of shell inflation. I need some verification on all of them.
This one was dark pink inside, inflated, and very heavy.
Photos / Sounds
What
Round Pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead shells on gravel bar with grass, most had apparently been dragged out by animals but very few of the thick-shelled species appeared to have been penetrated. Most appeared very recently dead, a few had tissue remnants, some were oxidized and had been dead quite a while. I suppose these pink nacred shells are Pleurobema sintoxia, although I have seen various authors refer to them by different names. The white ones may also be the same species, but there are differences in shape, shell thickness, periostracum, and degree of shell inflation. I need some verification on all of them.
This one was pale pink inside, inflated, and very heavy.
Photos / Sounds
What
Round Pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Drought conditions, found dead on sand bar about 3 miles below Lake Hugo dam. This 22mm shell is fairly typical of juvenile Pleurobema species from Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. They can often resemble quadrulinids (Cyclonaias morton or C. pustulosa), but the flesh-colored tint to the nacre and the pseudocardinal teeth separate them. There are usually subtle differences in periostracum color also. The posterior pseudocardinal tooth is as tall as, and usually taller than, the anterior tooth. In C. mortoni and C. pustulosa, the anterior tooth is normally MUCH larger and taller than the posterior tooth. Although there is no barrier between the location where this shell was found and the Red River tributaries in Texas, Pleurobema sintoxia has never been recorded from Texas alive.
Photos / Sounds
What
Salina Mucket (Potamilus metnecktayi)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Long dead. The bottom was virtually covered with dead P. metnecktayi shells, but nothing that looked to have been alive in the last 30 years was found below Laredo.
What
Tampico Pearly Mussel (Cyrtonaias tampicoensis)Observer
dbarclayDescription
Many dead and alive.