TN00060 GREEN-BLOSSOM PEARLY MUSSEL EPIOBLASMA TORULOSA GUBERNACULUM
Physical description: The shell is smooth and shiney, tawny, yellowish green, or straw colored with fine green rays *3975*. The shell outline is irregularly ovate, elliptical, or obovate. The valves are inequilateral, subinflated, and solid. The anterior end of the shell is rounded and the posterior margin in the females is broadly rounded. The hinge ligament is short and umbos are full, somewhat turned forward, and located in the anterior third of the shell with beak sculpture weak and corrugated. The posterior ridge in males are low, narrowly rounded, and separated from the medial ridge by a broad furrow which ends ventrally in an emargination between the two ridges. Both ridges and furrows vary from smooth to having elevated knobs. Females are larger than males and possess a large, flattened, rounded marsupial swelling or expansion which extends from the middle of the base to the upper part of the posterior end. Marsupial sweeling is thin, dark green in color, and marked with small radial furrows. The shell has distinct growth lines and the left valve has two triangular pseudocardinal teeth with slight interdentum and long, almost straight, lateral teeth. The right valve has three triangular pseudocardinals, a large tooth with a smaller tooth before and behind, and one large lateral tooth, sometimes with a vestigal tooth below. The umbonal cavity is typically shallow. Pallial line and muscle scars are well impressed. The nacre color varies from white to salmon-red *JRK1*. Reproduction: Glochidia are probably released in the late spring and early summer *00*. The males discharge sperm into the surrounding water which is dispersed by water currents. The females obtain sperm during the normal processes of siphoning water during feeding and respiration. Fertilization of the eggs occurs within the gills of female. The eggs are retained in the posterior section of the outer gills which are modified as brood pouches. This species is bradytictic in nature. The glochidia are bean shaped and most frequently parasitic on the gill filaments *JRK1*. Behavior: This species is sedentary with distribution dependent upon the range of the host fish *JRK1*. They are benthic animals that normally remain buried in the substrate with only the posterior margin of the shell and siphons exposed *8859*. Origin: The origin of this species is native *3920*. It is presently known only from the free-flowing reaches of the upper Clinch River above the back- water impoundments of Norris Reservoir *JRK1*. Limiting factors: This species is limited by alteration, the destruction of habitat, siltation and pollution *3975*.
| Life History |
References for Life History Codes
3920, 2100, 3975, JRK1, 8856
Comments on Life History Codes