Freshwater Mussels Pacific Northwest - State Water Resources ...

Kachess Lake in Washington is home to Western floaters. photo: Molly Hallock, WDF&WWestern FloaterAnodonta kennerlyi Lea, 1860DescriptionSize: Up to 4.75 inches.Shape: Elliptical or elongate; L:H ratio near or exceeding 2. Rounded anteriorand bluntly pointed posterior. Valves laterally inflated. The dorsal posteriorwing is absent or only slightly elevated and truncate. Valves thin and fragile.Beaks: Low and flat, scarcely projecting above the hinge line. Beak sculpturewith about 15 concentric irregular ridges.Periostracum: Yellowish, yellowish-brown, or brown, with a tinge of green insome specimens. They often have prominent brown growth lines. Periostracumis shiny, but sometimes rough from growth lines.Hinge Teeth: NoneNacre: White or bluish-white, with some pink toward the central portion ofthe nacre, and sometimes iridescent toward the posterior end.DistributionThe western floater is a more northern species found in watersheds of Oregon,Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, and northern Saskatchewan. Itis found in the Peace River in British Columbia, part of the Arctic watershed.It is also found on coastal islands in British Columbia.30Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest