Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 1 - 10 of 21 results
Photo of a painted devil crayfish standing on a sandy substrate
Painted Devil Crayfish
Lacunicambarus ludovicianus (syn. Cambarus ludovicianus)
The painted devil crayfish is a burrowing lowland species. In Missouri, it is known from only a few locations in the Bootheel. Its overall color is olive green to blue, with reddish and cream markings.
Photo of a paintedhand mudbug carefully arranged against a black background
Paintedhand Mudbug
Lacunicambarus polychromatus (syn. Cambarus polychromatus)
The paintedhand mudbug is a burrowing crayfish known in Missouri from only a few locations along the eastern border of the Bootheel. It is tan to olive green, and the abdominal segments and tail fan are trimmed with red. The pincers have red spots and red tips.
Photo of a devil crayfish.
Devil Crayfish
Lacunicambarus aff. diogenes (syn. Cambarus diogenes)
The powerfully built devil crayfish is usually a uniform olive or tan, without obvious blotches or spots. It digs underground burrows, often with mud chimneys, and has a wide distribution.
Photo of a shield crayfish, also called a ditch fencing crayfish.
Shield Crayfish (Ditch Fencing Crayfish)
Faxonella clypeata
The shield crayfish is small and tan, with a pattern of paired blackish dashes along the surface of the carapace and abdomen. The pincers are narrow, with short, abruptly tapering fingers. In Missouri it occurs only in our southeast counties.
Photo of a papershell crayfish, also called calico crayfish.
Calico Crayfish (Papershell Crayfish)
Faxonius immunis (formerly Orconectes immunis)
The calico crayfish is rather plain: gray-green with a pale central zone along the middle of the carapace and abdomen. The pincers are orange-tipped, and in mature males are tinged with purple. It is usually only found in the northern half of the state.
lilliput
Lilliput
Toxolasma parvus
These diminutive mollusks are the smallest of Missouri’s freshwater mussels.
pond mussel
Freshwater Mussels
Bivalve molluscs in order Unionoida
Secretive and seldom seen, freshwater mussels are extraordinarily diverse in Missouri. We have nearly 70 species within our borders. Many are declining, and several are endangered.
Photo of a ramshorn snail on a wet rock.
Ramshorn Snails
Gyraulus, Helisoma, Menetus, Micromenetus, Planorbula spp.
Ramshorn snails are easy to identify at a glance, because the shell is a flat, disklike coil. Like other pulmonate aquatic snails, they lack the hard horny “trapdoor” possessed by other types of aquatic snails.
Two Chinese mysterysnails, out of water, resting on a white surface, with a ruler nearby for scale
Chinese Mysterysnail
Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata (syn. Bellamya chinensis)
The Chinese mysterysnail is a nonnative invasive species quickly taking over urban waters throughout the state. Never release aquarium species or aquarium water into natural aquatic habitats. Learn about and practice clean boating techniques so that you do not accidentally spread invasive aquatic species.
Hydras
Various species in the genus Hydra
We’ve all seen aquariums and pictures of tropical saltwater invertebrates such as corals, jellyfish and anemones—but did you know that there are similar creatures living in the freshwater habitats of Missouri?
See Also

About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri

Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.