| Ptychobranchus occidentalis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionoida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Ptychobranchus |
| Species: | P. occidentalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptychobranchus occidentalis Conrad, 1836 |
|
Ptychobranchus occidentalis is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.
This species is endemic to the United States.
All Unionidae are known to use the gills, fins, or skin of a host fish for nutrients during the larval glochidia stage. Ptychobranchus occidentalis enclose their larvae in a membranous capsule that resembles host prey such as larval insects or larval fish . When a fish bites the capsule bait, the Ptychobranchus occidentalis larvae are released out of the rupture and attach to the gills of the host fish.