Potamilus ohiensis

Potamilus ohiensis, the pink papershell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae. It is also known as the papershell or fragile heelsplitter, and is similar to the Leptodea fragilis and Potamilus alatus species.^[1]

Potamilus ohiensis
Interior of the left valve of Potamilus ohiensis, showing the pink nacre
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Unionida
Family:	Unionidae
Genus:	Potamilus
Species:	P. ohiensis
Binomial name
Potamilus ohiensis (Rafinesque, 1820)

Description

The pink papershell has a thin, compressed, elongate shell, with rounded anterior and posterior ends. The surface is shiny, and brown or olive green in color. The nacre is pink or purple. These freshwater mussels grow as large as 7 inches (18 cm) in length. They generally live in large rivers, with mud, sand or silt bottoms.^[1] Fish known as the freshwater drum and white crappie act as hosts for the glochidia larvae of P. ohiensis.^[2]