About Potamilus ohiensis (Rafinesque, 1820)
This species, commonly called the pink papershell, is a type of freshwater mussel with the scientific name Potamilus ohiensis (Rafinesque, 1820). The pink papershell has a thin, compressed, elongate shell with both rounded anterior and posterior ends. Its shell surface is shiny, and colored brown or olive green. The nacre of the shell is pink or purple. Fully grown individuals can reach a maximum length of 7 inches, or 18 centimeters. Pink papershells typically inhabit large rivers that have bottoms made of mud, sand, or silt. For the glochidia larvae of Potamilus ohiensis, two fish species act as hosts: the freshwater drum and the white crappie.
