Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 31 - 38 of 38 results
wartyback
Wartyback
Quadrula nodulata
This favored habitat of this vulnerable species is large streams or rivers in firm sand and mud. The bumps on the shell may help to anchor it in the river bottom.
white heelsplitter
White Heelsplitter
Lasmigona complanata
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.
yellow sandshell
Yellow Sandshell
Lampsilis teres
The uniform shell thickness and hard, white nacre made this mussel a favorite for button manufacturing, in the days before most buttons were made of plastic.
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.
Photograph of Purple Wartyback freshwater mussel shell exterior view
Purple Wartyback (Purple Pimpleback)
Cyclonaias tuberculata
Before buttons were made of plastic, they were made of shell. Because only white buttons were in demand, the coppery-purple shell of this species made it worthless for the button industry.
elktoe
Elktoe
Alasmidonta marginata
The elktoe is one of many Missouri mussels with a declining population.
Photo of a leech
Leeches
Various species in the subclass Hirudinea
Most people are repulsed by leeches. But once you get past the fact that many species are parasitic bloodsuckers, you will discover that they are fascinating creatures with an important role in nature.
Gray, speckled, translucent gelatinous blob cut in half to show structure
Bryozoans (Moss Animals)
Freshwater species in the phylum Bryozoa
Bryozoans are tiny, filter-feeding invertebrates. They create colonies that can be mossy, branching, or round and jellylike.
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.