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You are viewing an archived site. The Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database project ended in 2020 and the database is no longer receiving updates. Learn more…
Image of Lampsilis cardium

Lampsilis cardium

Mollusks-Bivalves

Plain Pocket Book Mussel

Plain Pocket Book Mussels are large enough to fit in your pocket like a wallet (4-7 inches). They were named in the 1800s because they are shaped like the small purse (pocketbook) used by women of that era. They are native to the Winnipeg and Nelson River systems of central Canada, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the Ohio Rivers. In the late 1800s they were accidentally introduced to the Shenandoah River (1889) and the mainstem of the Potomac (1894), as glochidia (parasitic) larvae attached to fish that were stocked by the United States Fish Commission and state agencies. The larvae have a wide variety of fish hosts and include many sport fish stocked at the time such as Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides), Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) and Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum). The abundance of the mussels in introduced areas like the Potomac is not well known, but they probably do compete with native species for food and habitat, and hybridization has been reported between the Pocket Mussel and Yellow Lamp Mussel (L. cariosa) in the nontidal Potomac. The glochidia larvae attach to fish for only a few days and usually don’t harm adult fish, but larval fish and early juveniles can be killed by heavy infestations.

Image Credit: Paul Fofonoff

Description Taxonomy Invasion History Ecology Impacts References

Description

Lampsilis ovata and L. ventricosa have been variably regarded as distinct species or subspecies (Clarke 1981; Ortmann 1919; Strayer 1987). At present, they appear to be treated as one species, L. cardium (Mills et al. 1997).

Taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Animalia Mollusca Bivalvia Veneroidea Unionidae Lampsilis

Synonyms

Unio ovatus; Unio ventricosus; Unio occidens; Unio subovatus; Unio lenis; Unio canadensis; Unio latissimus; Lampsilis ventricosa lurida; Lampsilis ventricosa cohongoronta; Lampsilis ventricosa winnebagoensis; Lampsilis ventricosa perglobosa; Lampsilis ovata; Lampsilis ovata ventricosa; Lampsilis ventricosa

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record Population Range Introduction Residency Source Region Native Region Vectors
1909 Established Unknown Introduced Unconfirmed North America North America Fisheries(Fisheries Accidental)

History of Spread

Lampsilis cardium (Plain Pocket Book Mussel) is native to the Winnipeg and Nelson River systems of central Canada, the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence system, and the Ohio River system (Clarke 1981; Johnson 1970; Ortmann 1919).

Lampsilis cardium is known from the Hudson River by only a few specimens collected near the mouth of the Lake Champlain Canal. It is believed to have entered the Hudson through the canal before 1983 (Strayer 1987).

Lampsilis cardium was accidentally introduced to the Shenandoah River in 1889 and to the mainstem of the Potomac in 1894, as glochidia larvae attached to fishes which were stocked by the United States Fish Commission and state agencies (Johnson 1970). Hosts of the larvae include Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill), Pomoxis annularis (White Crappie), Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass), Micropterus dolomieu (Smallmouth Bass), Perca flavescens,(Yellow Perch) and Walleye Stizostedion vitreum (Walleye), all of which were stocked in the Potomac during this time period (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Smith 1907).

Potomac records are listed below:

Upper Potomac and Tributaries- Lampsilis cardium was found by Ortmann in Romney WV, Hampshire County WV, in 1912; in the South Branch of the Potomac River (Marshall 1917; Ortmann 1919); by 1981-1984 common throughout the upper WV tributaries of the river, apparently replacing the native L. cariosa (Yellow Lampmussel) (Marshall 1917; Marshall 1918; Taylor 1985).

Middle, Lower Potomac and Tributaries- In MD-VA- L. cardium was first collected in Hancock MD 1909; collected in Shenandoah River, Harpers Ferry WV, 1911. In 1918, a live specimen ws collected at Midriver Island MD, 1.5 mles above Great Falls (Marshall 1917; Marshall 1918; United States National Museum of Natural History collections). Byy 1930 it was abundant there, and apparently replacing the very similar L. cariosa (Marshall 1930). At Great Falls in 1915, empty valves were collected, and by 1930 this mussel was abundant. By 1965 L. cardium was reported to have largely replaced L. cariosa ( Fuller 1978; Johnson 1970; Marshall 1930;). According to Muir (1996), L. cardium has heavily intergraded with L. cariosa, so that the two species are hard to distinguish. However, Karine Motivans (Motivans 1996), considers L. cariosa to be still present (see Ecological Impacts and the extent of intergradation to be unknown (see 'Ecological Impacts').

Tidal Potomac - There are no definite records of L. cardium from the estuary but Marshall (1930) recorded it from Great Falls 'and perhaps farther south.' Lampsilis cardium is either rare or absent below the Fall-Line (Muir 1996).

History References - Clarke 1981; Fuller 1978; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Johnson 1970; Marshall 1917; Marshall 1918; Marshall 1930; Marshall 1917; Motivans 1996; Muir 1996; Ortmann 1919; Smith 1907; Strayer 1987; Taylor 1985

Invasion Comments

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

For SurvivalFor Reproduction
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Temperature (ºC)
Salinity (‰) 0.0 0.0
Oxygen
pH
Salinity Range fresh-oligo

Age and Growth

Male Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm)
Typical Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Longevity (yrs)
Typical Longevity (yrs

Reproduction

Start Peak End
Reproductive Season
Typical Number of Young
Per Reproductive Event
Sexuality Mode(s)
Mode(s) of Asexual
Reproduction
Fertilization Type(s)
More than One Reproduction
Event per Year
Reproductive Startegy
Egg/Seed Form

Impacts

Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay

Lampsilis cardium (Plain Pocketbook Mussel) probably has had no economic impacts in the Potomac River estuary. Together with other unionids, it may have some effect on recruitment of sport and food-fishes in the Potomac watershed, but this is difficult to quantify (Ernst et al. 1992).

References- Ernst et al. 1992

Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

Lampsilis cardium, like other unionids, probably has some effects on water clarity, and through its parasitic larvae, on fish recruitment, in its native range, and possibly in the Potomac River watershed, which it has invaded.

Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Lampsilis cardium's (Plain Pocket Book Mussel's) abundance in tidal waters of the Potomac is not known, but it has had apparent impacts on the native clam Lampsilis cariosa (Yellow Lampmussel) from the headwaters to the Great Falls.

Competition - Marshall (1930) reported that L. cardium was replacing L. cariosa at Midriver Island above Great Falls. Johnson (1970) and Taylor (1985) indicated that L. cariosa was now rare or absent in the upper Potomac, but might still be present below Great Falls. Fuller (1978) suggested that competition of larvae for hosts might be one mechanism of species replacement.

Hybridization - Marshall (1918; 1930) reported the occurrence of hybrids between L. cardium and L. cariosa in the nontidal Potomac. Morphological similarity of the these species and possible intergradation between these species makes it difficult to assess their relative abundance now (Muir 1996). However, Karine Motivans (Motivans 1996), using morphological criteria derived from a molecular and morphological study in WV, has found that L. cariosa is still present in the Potomac. She considers that the extent of hybridization of these species is unknown and would require genetic studies to determine.

References - Fuller 1978; Johnson 1985; Marshall 1918; Marshall 1930; Motivans 1996; Muir 1996; Taylor 1985

Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

Lampsilis cardium's (Plain Pocket Book Mussel's) abundance in tidal waters of the Potomac is not known, but it has had apparent impacts on the native clam Lampsilis cariosa from the headwaters to the Great Falls.

Parasitism - Lampsilis cardium, like other freshwater clams of the family Unionidae, has glochidia larvae which attach to fishes and consume some of the tissues in the region of attachment. Glochidial attachment usually does not harm adult fish, but larvae and early juveniles may be killed by heavy infestations (Ernst 1992). Hosts of the larvae include Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill), Pomoxis annularis (White Crappie), Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass), Micropterus dolomieu (Smallmouth Bass), Stizostedion vitreum (Walleye), and Perca flavescens(Yellow Perch ) (Johnson 1970), all but the last of which were introduced in the Potomac (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Smith 1907).

References - Ernst 1992; Johnson 1970; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Smith 1907

References

Beetle, Dorothy E. (1973) A checklist of the land and freshwater mollusks of Virginia, Sterkiana 49: 21-35

Clarke, Arthur H. (1981) The Freshwater Mollusca of Canada, , Ottawa. Pp.

Ernst, Evelyn M. (1992) Larval mussel parasitism of fishes in the Potomac River estuary, Fairfax County, Virginia, Maryland Naturalist 36: 1-8

Fuller, Samuel (1978) The changing molluscan community, In: Flynn, Kevin C., and Mason, William T.(Eds.) The Freshwater Potomac: Aquatic Communities and Environmental Stresses. , Rockville, MD. Pp. 124-131

Jenkins, Robert E.; Burkhead, Noel M. (1993) Freshwater fishes of Virginia., , Bethesda, MD. Pp.

Johnson, Richard I. (1970) The systematics and zoogeography of the Unionidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) of the southern Atlantic slope region, Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 140: 263-450

Marshall, William B. (1917) Lampsilis ventricosus cohongoronta in the Potomac River, Nautilus 31: 40-41

Marshall, William B. (1918) Lampsilis ventricosus cohongoronta in the Potomac Valley, Nautilus 32: 51-53

Marshall, William B. (1930) Lampsilis ventricosus cohongoronta in the Potomac River, Nautilus 44: 19-20

Mills, Edward L.; Scheuerell, Mark D.; Carlton, James T.; Strayer, David (1997) Biological invasions in the Hudson River: an inventory and historical analysis., New York State Museum Circular 57: 1-51

Muir, Tom (October 16, 1996) Telephone conversation, Introduced and native mollusks in the Potomac., , . Pp.

Ortmann, Arnold E. (1919) A monograph of the naiades of Pennsylvania. Part II. Systematic account of the genera and species, Memoirs of the Carnegie Museum 8: 1-343

Smith, Hugh M. (1907) The Fishes of North Carolina. Volume II, , Raleigh. Pp.

Strayer, David (1987) Ecology and zoogeography of the freshwater mollusks of the Hudson River Basin, Malacological Review 20: 1-68

Strayer, David L. (1987) Macrohabitats of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unioniacea) in streams of the northern Atlantic Slope, Journal of the North American Benthological Society 12: 236-246

Taylor, Ralph W. (1985) Comments on the distribution of freshwater mussels (Unionaceae) of the Potomac River headwaters in West Virginia, Nautilus 99: 84-87

Direct questions and comments to chesnemo@si.edu.

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