Biology:Velesunio ambiguous
| Velesunio ambiguous | |
|---|---|
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| View of the right valve of Velesunio ambiguous, from Ashley via Moree, Australia. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionida |
| Family: | Hyriidae |
| Genus: | Velesunio |
| Species: | V. ambiguous
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| Binomial name | |
| Velesunio ambiguous (Philippi, 1847)
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| Synonyms | |
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[1] | |
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
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, Retrieved 10 March 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2007. Freshwater Mussels - Velesunio ambiguous. Environmental Remediation of Wetlands and Dams. Aquablue Seafoods. online, Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wade, Sam; Corbin, Tracey; McDowell, Linda-Marie (June 2004). Critter Catalogue: A guide to the aquatic invertebrates of South Australian inland waters.. Original illustrations by John Bradbury.. Environment Protection Authority (South Australia). p. 28. ISBN 1-876562-67-6. https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/files/8543_critters.pdf.
- ↑ 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.
Wikidata ☰ Q7918897 entry
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