- Range:
Blue = current range
Hollow circles = former range
- Status in Kansas:
Common in eastern Kansas
- North American Status:
(From NatureServe)
This species is considered
common and widespread throughout much of the U.S. and Canada and is considered stable, or
in some cases expanding, throughout its range. The ranges includes the coastal plain
portion of Gulf drainages from the Escambia River in Florida west to Texas and northward
into the Mississippi River drainage. It is also found in the Niagara River drainage in
western New York. In Canada, it is restricted to the Lake Erie drainage in southern
Ontario. In southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan it is widely distributed and
often abundant.
- Comments:
This thick-shelled mussel gets its name from the three prominent ridges (sometimes
two or four) that are easily noticed. On older specimens, the periostracum (external
layer) is worn off the umbos and they appear white. Shellers called them “old gray
beards.” In some Kansas rivers, the threeridge is the most common mussel. This
species does well in rivers and streams and can tolerate more pollution than other native
mussels. Its glochidia are released from late spring to early summer. Threeridge shells
were extensively utilized in the pearl button and cultured pearl industries due to their
thickness and unblemished nacre.
- Fish Hosts:
shortnose gar, white and black crappie, green sunfish, bluegill, warmouth,
largemouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, highfin carpsucker and sauger
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