New Zealand freshwater mussel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| New Zealand freshwater mussel | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Hyridella menziesi (Gray, 1843) |
The New Zealand freshwater mussel, Hyridella menziesi, is a freshwater bivalve mollusc, in the family Unionidae.
Contents |
[edit] Distribution
This species of mussel is endemic to New Zealand.
[edit] Habitat
This mussel is found only in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds favouring firm fine sandy or muddy bottoms.
[edit] Description
These bivalve shellfish grow to about 10 cm in length and are always coated with a thick, greenish-brown horny periostracum. They have an interesting juvenile stage in which the larval shellfish spends its early life attached to the body or fins of a freshwater fish.
The hinge has two small anterior pseudocardinals, plus a long lamellar lateral in the right valve, and one pseudocardinal plus two laterals in the left valve.
[edit] References
- Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
