Lilliput
Toxolasma parvum
Mussel Description 2
Small size (to 1.5 inches); dark green or brown color, rayless, inflated, moccasin shaped. Brown sometimes tinged with green; older shells can become dark brown or black. Nacre is bluish white; iridescent across the entire valve Umbo has three to five heavy concentric ridges; the umbos are slightly elevated above the hinge line. Left valve has two divergent triangular pseudocardinal teeth and two slightly curved lateral teeth. Right valve has a single triangular, grooved, pseudocardinal tooth.
Visually Similar Species 2
Salamander Mussel
The salamander mussel is threatened in Wisconsin and was not found in the Milwaukee River Basin by Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Salamander mussels have a different umbo structure and reduced lateral teeth. (Source: A Field Guide to the Freshwater Mussels of the Chicago Wilderness.)
Status in the Milwaukee River Basin 2
Lilliput valves were found uncommonly in the Milwaukee River Basin. However, no live lilliput were found in the Basin.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Zac Driscoll, all rights reserved, uploaded by Zac Driscoll
- (c) Zac Driscoll, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
