{{Short description|Species of bivalve}} {{Speciesbox | image = Potamilus ohiensis - pink papershell mussel - Marais des Cygnes River - US - 2011.jpg | image_caption = Interior of the left valve of ''Potamilus ohiensis'', showing the pink [[nacre]] | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |last1=Cummings |first1=K. |last2=Cordeiro |first2=J. |year=2012 |title=''Potamilus ohiensis'' |volume=2012 |article-number=e.T189185A1920691 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T189185A1920691.en |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref> | status2 = G5 | status2_system = TNC | status2_ref = <ref name=NS>{{cite NatureServe |id=2.116918 |title=''Potamilus ohiensis'' |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref> | genus = Potamilus | species = ohiensis | authority = ([[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1820) }}
'''''Potamilus ohiensis''''', the '''pink papershell''', is a [[species]] of [[freshwater mussel]], an aquatic [[bivalve]] [[mollusk]] in the family [[Unionidae]]. It is also known as the papershell or fragile heelsplitter, and is similar to the ''[[Leptodea fragilis]]'' and ''[[Potamilus alatus]]'' species.<ref name=IL>{{cite web|url=http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/animals_plants/mollusk/musselmanual/page122_3.html|title=''Potamilus ohiensis'' (Rafinesque, 1820)|publisher=Illinois Natural History Survey|accessdate=2012-08-14}}</ref>
==Description== The pink papershell has a thin, compressed, elongate shell, with rounded [[anterior]] and [[posterior (anatomy)|posterior]] ends. The surface is shiny, and brown or olive green in color. The [[nacre]] is pink or purple. These freshwater mussels grow as large as {{convert|7|in|cm}} in length. They generally live in large rivers, with mud, sand or [[silt]] bottoms.<ref name=IL/> Fish known as the [[freshwater drum]] and [[white crappie]] act as hosts for the [[glochidia]] larvae of ''P. ohiensis''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/mussels/pinkpapr.html|title=Pink Papershell|publisher=Marietta College|accessdate=2012-08-14}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3014441}}
[[Category:Potamilus|ohiensis]] [[Category:Bivalves described in 1820]] [[Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]]
{{Unionidae-stub}}