Pea Mussel

Statistics

Taxonomic family: Sphaeriidae

Length: 2 to 4 mm

Average life span: 1 to 3 years

When To See

All year round.

Photo credit: iSpotnature.org

Habitat

This tiny bivalve shell prefers good quality, clean, calcareous waters in slow-moving streams, canals, marsh drains, lakes and ponds.

How To Identify

Ivory/cream coloured with glossy coating. Marked by regular and prominent concentric striae (lines). The shell is rounded but the umbos (highest points of the shell) are placed behind the middle, giving a slightly angular shape. Because of the glossiness of the shell and its colour it may appear to be iridescent.

Seen It?

Been kicking about in your local river and come across one of these invertebrates? Not sure? Share it with us at trust@forthriverstrust.org, we enjoy chatting about inverts with you.