# Potamilus ohiensis

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Potamilus_ohiensis
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Potamilus_ohiensis.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamilus_ohiensis
> Source revision: 1330248989
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Species of bivalve

Potamilus ohiensis Interior of the left valve of Potamilus ohiensis, showing the pink nacre Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Secure (NatureServe)[2] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Bivalvia Order: Unionida Family: Unionidae Genus: Potamilus Species: P. ohiensis Binomial name Potamilus ohiensis (Rafinesque, 1820)

***Potamilus ohiensis***, the **pink papershell**, is a [species](/source/Species) of [freshwater mussel](/source/Freshwater_mussel), an aquatic [bivalve](/source/Bivalve) [mollusk](/source/Mollusk) in the family [Unionidae](/source/Unionidae). It is also known as the papershell or fragile heelsplitter, and is similar to the *[Leptodea fragilis](/source/Leptodea_fragilis)* and *[Potamilus alatus](/source/Potamilus_alatus)* species.[3]

## Description

The pink papershell has a thin, compressed, elongate shell, with rounded [anterior](/source/Anterior) and [posterior](/source/Posterior_(anatomy)) ends. The surface is shiny, and brown or olive green in color. The [nacre](/source/Nacre) is pink or purple. These freshwater mussels grow as large as 7 inches (18 cm) in length. They generally live in large rivers, with mud, sand or [silt](/source/Silt) bottoms.[3] Fish known as the [freshwater drum](/source/Freshwater_drum) and [white crappie](/source/White_crappie) act as hosts for the [glochidia](/source/Glochidia) larvae of *P. ohiensis*.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-0)** Cummings, K.; Cordeiro, J. (2012). ["*Potamilus ohiensis*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/189185/1920691). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2012** e.T189185A1920691. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T189185A1920691.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T189185A1920691.en). Retrieved 30 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NS_2-0)** [NatureServe](/source/NatureServe). ["*Potamilus ohiensis*"](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.116918/). *NatureServe Explorer*. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 30 December 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IL_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IL_3-1) ["*Potamilus ohiensis* (Rafinesque, 1820)"](http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/animals_plants/mollusk/musselmanual/page122_3.html). Illinois Natural History Survey. Retrieved 2012-08-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Pink Papershell"](http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/mussels/pinkpapr.html). Marietta College. Retrieved 2012-08-14.

Taxon identifiers Potamilus ohiensis Wikidata: Q3014441 BOLD: 33350 CoL: 4M3D7 EoL: 449458 GBIF: 2287984 iNaturalist: 125554 IRMNG: 10602309 ITIS: 80288 IUCN: 189185 NatureServe: 2.116918 NCBI: 81577 Open Tree of Life: 732223 WoRMS: 857380 Anodonta ohiensis Wikidata: Q109546297 CoL: 5V685 ITIS: 986099

This Unionidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Unionidae-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUnionidae-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Unionidae-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Potamilus ohiensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamilus_ohiensis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamilus_ohiensis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.