| Ptychobranchus occidentalis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Mollusca | 
| Class: | Bivalvia | 
| Order: | Unionida | 
| Family: | Unionidae | 
| Genus: | Ptychobranchus | 
| Species: | P. occidentalis | 
| Binomial name | |
| Ptychobranchus occidentalis (Conrad, 1836) | |
Ptychobranchus occidentalis is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is endemic to the United States,[1] where it is known from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Its common name is Ouachita kidneyshell.[2]
This mussel packages its larvae, or glochidia, in a membranous conglutinate which resembles a small prey item. When a fish comes to investigate this lure, the glochidia attach to its gills and use it as a host during their development.[3]
References
- 1 2 Bogan, A.E. (1996). "Ptychobranchus occidentalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T18827A8645284. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T18827A8645284.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ↑ Ptychobranchus occidentalis. NatureServe. 2012.
- ↑ Orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile) with the conglutinates of Ouachita kidneyshell, (Ptychobranchus occidentalis). Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
