# Plain Pocketbook (*Lampsilis cardium*) The Plain Pocketbook is a special kind of freshwater mussel that lives in rivers and lakes. It has a smooth, flat shell that can be light brown or yellowish, making it blend in with its surroundings. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Freshwater rivers and lakes ![Plain Pocketbook](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lampsilis_cardium.jpg&width=800) Photo: Photographer: Alissa Ganser, USGS, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lampsilis_cardium.jpg) ## Appearance The Plain Pocketbook is a freshwater mussel with a thick, smooth, oval-shaped shell, typically yellowish-brown to dark brown, often adorned with faint green rays. Its shell is noticeably inflated, giving it a 'chubby' and distinctively rounded appearance, differentiating it from flatter mussel species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Bivalvia - **Order:** Unionida - **Family:** Unionidae - **Genus:** Lampsilis ## Interesting facts - A single Plain Pocketbook can filter up to 10 gallons of water every single day! - Plain Pocketbooks have special light-sensing cells in their mantle, giving them a type of 'eyesight'! - Some Plain Pocketbooks can live longer than your grandparents, reaching over 50 years old! - They begin life as tiny parasites, hitchhiking on fish gills for a ride and a meal! ## Special abilities - **Wiggly Lure:** Plain Pocketbook can wiggle its mantle tissue, which looks just like a small fish, to attract host fish for its baby mussels. - **Water Filter:** Plain Pocketbook can filter vast amounts of water every day, cleaning it by trapping tiny food particles like algae and bacteria. - **Burrowing Power:** Plain Pocketbook has a strong, muscular foot that helps it slowly burrow into riverbeds, staying anchored and hidden from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 60-120 mm - **Lifespan:** 3650-18250 days ## Diet & Feeding These tiny filter-feeders feast on microscopic plants and decaying bits floating in the water. - **Age differences:** Larvae are parasitic on fish gills, feeding on fish blood or tissues. - **Primary Foods:** algae, bacteria, phytoplankton, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** [Smallmouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/smallmouth-bass) (*Micropterus dolomieu*) — Its larvae attach to fish gills. - **Eats:** [Muskrat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/muskrat) (*Ondatra zibethicus*) — Muskrats crack open mussel shells for food. - **Eaten by:** Green Alga (*Scenedesmus quadricauda*) — Filtered from water as a food source. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch or pick up mussels without adult supervision, as they can be delicate. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Plain Pocketbook? 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 Plain Pocketbook? 60-120 mm ### How long does Plain Pocketbook live? 3650-18250 days ### What does Plain Pocketbook eat? These tiny filter-feeders feast on microscopic plants and decaying bits floating in the water. ### Where is Plain Pocketbook usually found? Freshwater rivers and lakes ### How does Plain Pocketbook 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 - [Canoe Landing Prairie State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canoe-landing-prairie-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Gitchie Manitou State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gitchie-manitou-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-madawaska-river-provincial-park) — Ontario, CA · State Park [View all places to see Plain Pocketbook](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/plain-pocketbook) ## 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: [Plain Pocketbook: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/plain-pocketbook)