- Range:
Blue = current range
Hollow circles = former range
- Status in Kansas:
Common in southeast Kansas
- North American Status:
(From NatureServe)
This species ranges
throughout the Mississippian Region; Great Lakes into western New York state, west to
Minnesota, southern Canada; Peninsular Florida; Apalachicolan region; Gulf Coastal region
west to the Rio Grande system in Texas. Although considered stable throughout much of its
range, it is rare in Canada (only a few records from Ontario remain), but has recently
expanded above St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River drainage in Minnesota.
- Comments:
Even as an adult, the lilliput is an apt name because this mussel is one of the
smallest in the family (Unionidae). The outermost layer of the dark brown shell has a
cloth-like texture feeling like wet leather. Inside the shell, the nacre is bluish-white.
It can be confused with the pond mussel, however, unlike the inverted Vs of the pond
mussel, the lilliput has concentric lines near the umbo. The female has a distinctive lure
which resembles two creamy white worms extending from the shell, and can move these lures
to entice a host fish. It is most often found in ponds or lakes but can be found near pool
margins of fast-flowing streams.
- Fish Hosts:
bluegill, green sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, warmouth and white crappie
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