The Yellow Sandshell: A River Mussel (13Jan2022)

I think this one was predated by a Raccoon, but I could be wrong.

At “Lampsilis teres” they write:

The yellow sandshell’s shell is yellow, shiny, and smooth, and can grow to 190 mm long. In males, the back end of the shell is pointed, while it is rounded in females. The inner shell is white.

Yellow sandshells (Lampsilis teres) are found throughout much of the United States and northern Mexico. In Mexico, they are found in Coahuila and Nuevo León. In the United States, these mollusks are native from Minnesota to Texas, Nebraska to New York, and Florida to Kansas. This species appears in the Mississippi River drainage and the Gulf drainages as well.

The yellow sandshell mussel lives in small streams, large rivers, lakes, pounds, and reservoirs. Yellow sandshells may be found in slow or fast moving currents, and their preferred habitat is along the banks of muddy rivers.
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It is not known how long yellow sandshell mussels live, but many other freshwater mussel species live for decades. Some even live as long as 100 years.

There is little known about the senses yellow sandshells use. Most mussels are able to detect changes in water temperature, changes in light, and physical touch.

Yellow sandshell mussels filter their food from the water. They eat protozoans, bacteria, algae, as well as phytoplankton and zooplankaton. Water enters their bodies through a tube called the incurrent siphon. When the water reaches the gills, the food particles are filtered out of the water and brought to the mouth and stomach. The water then leaves the body through another tube called the excurrent siphon.

Steele, M. 2014. “Lampsilis teres” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed January 25, 2022 at http://www.biokids.umich.edu/accounts/Lampsilis_teres/