Velesunio ambiguous

Velesunio ambiguous
	View of the right valve of Velesunio ambiguous, from Ashley via Moree, Australia.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Unionida
Family:	Hyriidae
Genus:	Velesunio
Species:	V. ambiguous
Binomial name
	Velesunio ambiguous; (Philippi, 1847)
Synonyms
	[1]; Unio ambiguus Philippi, 1847; Unio balonnensis Conrad, 1850; Unio balonensis Lea, 1852; Unio vittatus Lea, 1859; Unio philippianus Küster, 1861; Unio (Alasmodon) evansi Adams & Angas, 1864; Unio danellii Lea, 1870; Unio daniellii Villa, 1871; Unio jeffreysianus Lea, 1871; Unio fairfieldi in coll. UMMZ; Unio ambiguus E.A. Smith, 1881; Hyridella australis E.A. Smith, 1881; Unio protovittatus Hale & Tindale, 1930; Velesunio balonnensis adjunctus Iredale, 1934; Velesunio balonnensis intricatus Iredale, 1934; Velesunio transitus Iredale, 1943; Velesunio mckeowni Iredale, 1943; Velesunio testatus Iredale, 1943; Velesunio ambiguous Graf & Cummings, 2006

Velesunio ambiguous, the flood plain mussel,[2] or the billabong mussel (South Australia),[3] is a species of freshwater bivalve in the family Hyriidae.

There are four other cryptic species in the genus Velesunio (which all look similar to Velesunio ambiguous) in Australia.[4]

distribution map

Comparison of the size of Velesunio ambiguous with a man's hand. This shell is 85 mm long and 49 mm wide.

Distribution

Australia: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,[2] and South Australia, where it is known as the billabong mussel.[3]

Biotope

Static waters.[2]

Life cycle

The lifespan of this clam is over 20 years.[2]

It can survive temperatures from around 4 °C to over 30 °C.[2]

Human uses

Velesunio ambiguous serves as a food for Australian Aborigines, although its flesh is tough.[2]

This species can also be used in fish ponds to filter microscopic algae out of the water.[2]

References

OZ: Freshwater Mussels of Australasia (beta). The MUSSEL Project Web Site: MUSSELpws, last updated 2 January 2008, accessed 10 March 2009
2007. Freshwater Mussels - Velesunio ambiguous. Environmental Remediation of Wetlands and Dams. Aquablue Seafoods. online, accessed 13 March 2009.
Wade, Sam; Corbin, Tracey; McDowell, Linda-Marie (June 2004). Critter Catalogue: A guide to the aquatic invertebrates of South Australian inland waters (PDF). Original illustrations by John Bradbury. Environment Protection Authority (South Australia). p. 28. ISBN 1 876562 67 6.
Fawcett J.H., Hughes J.M. & Baker A.M. 2006. Conservation of the Australian freshwater mussel. Applications of Genetics in Freshwater Ecology, NABS Annual meeting, Anchorage, Alaska.

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[1] OZ: Freshwater Mussels of Australasia (beta). The MUSSEL Project Web Site: MUSSELpws, last updated 2 January 2008, accessed 10 March 2009

[Aquablue-2] 2007. Freshwater Mussels - Velesunio ambiguous. Environmental Remediation of Wetlands and Dams. Aquablue Seafoods. online, accessed 13 March 2009.

[epa-3] Wade, Sam; Corbin, Tracey; McDowell, Linda-Marie (June 2004). Critter Catalogue: A guide to the aquatic invertebrates of South Australian inland waters (PDF). Original illustrations by John Bradbury. Environment Protection Authority (South Australia). p. 28. ISBN 1 876562 67 6.

[4] Fawcett J.H., Hughes J.M. & Baker A.M. 2006. Conservation of the Australian freshwater mussel. Applications of Genetics in Freshwater Ecology, NABS Annual meeting, Anchorage, Alaska.