Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 21 - 30 of 30 results
pink mucket
Pink Mucket
Lampsilis abrupta
This endangered native mussel lives in flowing waters of large streams among gravel and cobble.
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 several prosobranch pond snails crawling on a rock.
Gilled Aquatic Snails (Prosobranch Pond Snails)
Over 20 Missouri species in former subclass Prosobranchia
Gilled snails are one of two main groups of aquatic snails in Missouri (the other group is the "lunged" snails). Gilled snails, or prosobranchs, breathe with gills and possess a hard trapdoor-like operculum. They are most common in the Ozarks.
Photograph of Sheepnose freshwater mussel shell exterior view
Sheepnose (Bullhead)
Plethobasus cyphyus
The sheepnose has been classified as endangered in Missouri and is a candidate for federal endangered status.
elktoe
Elktoe
Alasmidonta marginata
The elktoe is one of many Missouri mussels with a declining population.
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?
Photo of a deer fly larva, probably in a petri dish, on a gray background.
Horse and Deer Fly Larvae
Tabanus, Chrysops, and related genera
The larvae of horse and deer flies are fairly straight, segmented, wormlike maggots that are tan, whitish, or brownish. They are aquatic or live in mud, and most are predaceous.
Photo of a pink planarian on a rock.
Turbellarians (Planarians; Free-Living Flatworms)
Dugesia, Planaria, and other genera
Unlike their parasitic cousins in the flatworm group, turbellarians, or planarians, are tiny carnivores or detritus-eaters that glide smoothly across submerged leaves and other objects.
Fingernail clam in a person’s hand
Fingernail Clams
Pisidium, Sphaerium, and Musculium spp.
Fingernail clams, also called pill clams or pea clams, are members of a family of small to tiny freshwater clams that are common but rarely noticed. They occur in a variety of aquatic habitats.
Two pairs of Asian clam shells, still hinged together, showing exterior and interior
Asian Clam
Corbicula fluminea
The Asian clam is a nonnative, invasive species that lives in a variety of aquatic habitats. It has thick shells with distinctly ridged, concentric rings and a yellowish-brown to dark brown shell covering.
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.