Page 60 - The Freshwater Mussels of Oklahoma

Partial Synonymy:
Lampsilis ventricosa (Barnes, 1823), Isely 1925; Oesch 1984
Lampsilis ovata ventricosa (Barnes, 1823), Murray and Leonard 1962
Lampsilis ovata form ventricosa (Barnes, 1823), Valentine and Stansbery 1971
Lampsilis ventricosa satura (Lea, 1852), Isely 1925
Lampsilis ovata (Say, 1817), Johnson 1970; Branson 1984
Lampsilis cardium (Rafinesque, 1820), Turgeon and others 1988; Vidrine 1993;
Watters 1995; Howells and others 1996
Description:
“Shell large, rather solid, obovate, inflated, with very full, high beaks, which have
a few coarse, irregular corrugations that are inclined to be doubly looped; surface
generally nearly smooth, the rest periods well marked; epidermis normally shining,
greenish, greenish-yellow or brownish with broad, bright green rays. In old shells the
rays are often nearly or quite wanting. Hinge line usually incurved in front of the beaks
and outcurved behind them; ligament large and prominent, extending under the beaks,
and narrow in front of them. There are two, somewhat compressed pseudocardinals in
the left valve, one in front of the other, the hinder high and having a triangular outline,
the front lower, and both of these are in front of the beak; the hinge plate is narrow and
rounded behind them, and there are two rather short, slender laterals; right valve with two
compressed pseudocardinals, the lower the higher, separated by a deep, nearly parallel-
sided socket, and one high, curved lateral, which is sharply truncated behind; beak
cavities deep and wide; muscle scars not deep, smooth, the hinder semicircular; nacre
brilliant, silvery, bluish-white or sometimes a beautiful pink.
In the female shell the marsupial swelling is pronounced, and the shell is
generally higher than that of the male” (Simpson 1914, p 38-39).
Hosts for Glochidia:
Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Crappie,
Yellow Perch (Watters, 1994).
Comments:
Variable in size, color and inflation in Oklahoma but should all be considered as
L. cardium.

Table 8. Summary of L. cardium shell characters.

Maximim
Mean H/L H/L Range Length Mean W/L W/L Range
Location Sex N (%) (%) (mm) (%) (%) Remarks
Arkansas River Drainage
Caney River ♂ 10 67.2 65.0-70.8 137 46.9 45.3-48.5
♀ 3 70.9 67.7-74.0 100 54.4 50.8-58.0
Verdigris River ♂ 10 69.5 63.3-74.2 139 49.5 46.9-50.8
♀ 7 74.7 69.9-80.0 120 60.6 49.5-70.0
Neosho River ♂ 13 70.7 67.1-74.6 152 49.8 45.2-54.6
♀ 9 72.9 67.2-77.1 136 55.0 48.9-58.4
Illinois River ♂ 7 67.9 63.9-71.7 151 45.8 43.0-49.5
♀ 4 71.1 69.1-73.4 106 56.6 53.8-60.4
Poteau River ♂ 5 67.6 62.5-71.6 136 52.9 51.1-54.8
♀ 2 69.8 69.5-70.1 105 64.7 59.8-69.5

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