Only known from the lower Connecticut River in Vermont. The shad restoration program on the Connecticut River increased the range of Alewife Floater upstream about 125 miles.
Key Characteristics
- Size: Large; may exceed 6 inches
- Shape: Ovate or elliptical and slightly elongate. Shells are laterally inflated, while beaks are raised above the hinge line, which is often slightly curved.
- Periostracum: Smooth and varies in color; can be yellow, beige, brown, black, or green.
- Lateral Teeth: Absent.
- Pseudocardinal Teeth: Absent.
- Nacre: Variable. Ranges from white to pink to orange.
- Similar Species: Eastern floater, Creeper.
Conservation Status
- State and Global Rank: S1 G5
- Vermont Wildlife Action Plan: Species of Greatest Conservation Need
- Vermont Endangered Species Law: not listed
- U.S. Endangered Species Act: not listed
IUCN Red List: Least Concern
Habitat
Alewife floaters can be found in waters with a variety of flow rates and substrate including rocks, silt, or sand.
Host Species
Alewife, American shad, blueback herring.
More information
- Encyclopedia of Life
- NatureServe
- Musselp
- New Hampshire species page and map
- iNaturalist species page
Range
Found only in the lower CT River.
Distribution map has locations where this species has been documented and digitized into the atlas database. Systematic surveys have not been conducted for many species and those surveys that have been conducted have been largely focused on endangered species. Therefore, in some cases, the actual distribution of freshwater mussels may be more extensive than what is presented here. Shaded areas are watershed sub-basins and river main stems are shown.
