

niie Larger River Mussels in Aquaria 

 CHARLES M. BREDER, Jr 



United States Bureau of Fisheries 



4 



Three-ridge Mussel, Quadrula undulai-a (Barnes) from South Dakota 

 Photograph by courtesy of Bureau of Fisheries 



Through the kindness of Dr. R. E. 

 Coker, of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, 

 the writer has been able to secure a few 

 of the larger Mississippi River mussels 

 for observation in small aquaria. These 

 were all of species of considerable eco- 

 nomic importance, the shells being used 

 in great numbers for the manufacture of 

 the common pearl buttons, which form a 

 real necessity in our daily life. 



The only species which survived in 

 the confinement of small aquaria for 

 any length of time was the "Three 

 Ridge" Quadrula undulata, although the 

 shipping may have had more to do with 



the death of the others than the actual 

 confinement in small bodies of still water. 

 Three specimens of this species have 

 been kept in various small aquaria for 

 over nine months, at the end of which 

 period one succumbed, for an unknown 

 reason, and another met with an accident. 

 The remaining individual, at this writing, 

 is apparently in perfect health at the writ- 

 er's home, living in a small tank. i8xi2x 

 12 inches, after having spent various per- 

 iods of time in small jars ranging from 

 one 12 inches high by 8 inches in dia- 

 meter up to size of the present container. 

 A year has now elapsed since it left its 



