# Mapleleaf (*Quadrula quadrula*) The Mapleleaf is a special freshwater mussel with a beautiful, leaf-shaped shell. It lives in rivers and lakes, helping to keep the water clean by filtering it. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Freshwater rivers and lakes ![Mapleleaf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Quadrula_cylindrica_%28Say%252C_1817%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Michael Gäbler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quadrula_cylindrica_%28Say%252C_1817%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Mapleleaf has a distinctive, chunky shell that is roughly square or trapezoidal in shape. Its surface is covered with large, rounded bumps or 'tubercles,' giving it a knobby texture. The shell color ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown, often with lighter rays. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Bivalvia - **Order:** Unionida - **Family:** Unionidae - **Genus:** Quadrula ## Interesting facts - A single Mapleleaf mussel can filter over 10 gallons of water every single day! - Mapleleaf mussel shells grow yearly rings, just like trees, that show exactly how old they are! - Their tiny larvae are called glochidia and must briefly live on a fish to grow bigger! - These mussels move around using a single, powerful muscular 'foot' to slowly pull themselves along! ## Special abilities - **Fishy Hitchhikers:** Mapleleaf can release microscopic larvae that temporarily attach to fish gills, ensuring their young travel far and wide. - **Nature's Water Filter:** Mapleleaf has special gills that constantly filter water, removing tiny particles and helping to keep rivers clean. - **Underground Home:** Mapleleaf can burrow deep into the riverbed sediment, allowing them to hide safely from many predators. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 9 cm - **Size:** 12 cm - **Lifespan:** 50 years ## Diet & Feeding The Mapleleaf is a filter-feeder, straining tiny food particles like algae and bacteria from the water. - **Primary Foods:** algae, bacteria, detritus, phytoplankton, zooplankton - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Muskrat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/muskrat) (*Ondatra zibethicus*) — Muskrats often prey on mussels. - **Depends on:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Host fish for mussel larvae. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons forage for mussels. ## Traits - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. ## Collections - [Curiosities](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/curiosities) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be careful near water! Always swim with an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mapleleaf? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Mapleleaf? 9 cm ### How long does Mapleleaf live? 50 years ### What does Mapleleaf eat? The Mapleleaf is a filter-feeder, straining tiny food particles like algae and bacteria from the water. ### Where is Mapleleaf usually found? Freshwater rivers and lakes ### How does Mapleleaf hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Lock and Dam No. 12](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lock-and-dam-no-12) — Iowa, US · Historic Site - [Icehouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/icehouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Pawnee County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pawnee-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site - [Robert Allerton Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/robert-allerton-park) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Water Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/water-avenue-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see Mapleleaf](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mapleleaf) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Mapleleaf: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mapleleaf)