Field Guide

When a floater dies, this large mussel with a thick shell will actually rise to the water surface and float as it decays.

These diminutive mollusks are the smallest of Missouri’s freshwater mussels.

Shaped like a checkered gunstock, with its unique, turned-down edge, pistolgrips are easy to identify.

This widespread species is one of the few Missouri mussels successful in shallow ponds and lakes.

Nacre color varies from purple to pink to white. In smaller rivers, the shell is much thinner.

Missouri may have the largest number of spectaclecase mussels left in the world. These elongated shellfish can live for 60 years or more.

Sometimes called the blue-point, this mussel species is widely distributed in Missouri rivers and is occasionally found along reservoir margins.

The shell of this mollusk is large and impressive in overall size. Although fairly flat, it can be more than 8 inches long. A large wing on the heelsplitter can be painful if you step on it.

Today found only in the Meramec River, the elephantear has been classified as endangered in Missouri and is a candidate for federal endangered status.