Quardula apiculata, Gulf Mapleleaf, shells recovered from Grapevine Lake Nov 2012, live specimen collected same time and currently housed at the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park.
Quardula apiculata, Gulf Mapleleaf, shells recovered from Grapevine Lake Nov 2012, live specimen collected same time and currently housed at the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park.
Quadrula apiculata, Gulf mapleleaf, live specimen from a creek just south of lake Lewisville January 2013
Quadrula apiculata, gulf mapleleaf, nice small specimen from the Trinity River in Irving, TX December 2012
Close up photo includes one shell and two valves. Group photo includes all smooth pimple back at that survey site.
Guided by the Texas Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' experts it was an easy find. The Golden Orb is one of many mollusks that are diminishing in numbers and may well promise to go the way so many other. Of the three members of the Quadruls species know to have existed in the San Marcos only two are left. The shown location is not the actual site but one of the public access points to the river.
Specimen collected by graduate student Randklev.
Documented and posted here with permission of LLELA staff.
The right valve of a fragile papershell. Shell thin. External coloration a reddish brown with a few extremely faint rays. Internal nacre pink and purple near the beak and white near the margins/pallial line.
Pink papershell also occur in this area and have very similar characteristics.
Surprising that after over ten years of doing mussel watch in this area this species suddenly appeared along with bleuffers