I'm of the (recently discovered) opinion that everyone should know about freshwater mussels...
Sandbank Pocketbook (Lampsilis satura) palette
If you like to play in clean and clear fresh waters, you can thank nature’s filters- the native freshwater mussels. There are 52 mussel species in Texas and 15 are listed as Threatened in Texas. ⠀
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Featured here is the Sandbank Pocketbook (Lampsilis satura), (Such a great name!)... As far as I can see, there is only ONE known host fish for this species- (Lepomis macrochirus , or bluegill), and it relies on this species to multiply... the process of finding a host fish is, AMAZING.
I'm linking two really interesting videos that helped me and my family understand mussels better. Please share this information!! ⠀
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p.s. The blue color was sampled from the inside the shells of this freshwater mussel. ⠀
Shop Shirts for your Lampsilis lover:
5% of the profits from these products go to Threatened & Endangered Species.
THREATENED TEXAS SERIES: Each palette & threatened species is unique. I have sampled colors from images of actual Texas Threatened Species
Sources:
https://dallas.tamu.edu/nri/mussels/
as well as videos linked above.
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My current project: To sample colors from actual images of Texas Threatened Species and to create original art inspired by their unique palette. ⠀