Ebonyshell - Fusconaia ebena
Federal Status: Not listed (Watters 1995)
Ohio Status: Threatened (Watters 1995)
Key characteristics: Round, heavy, thick, brown or black shell without rays or pustules (Cummings, Mayer 1992).
Similar species: Long-solid, hickorynut, round hickorynut, ring pink, pigtoes (Fusconaia and Pleurobema) (Cummings, Mayer 1992).
Description: Shell solid, heavy, rounded or oval, and inflated. Anterior end rounded, posterior end rounded or bluntly pointed. Dorsal margin slightly rounded, ventral margin curved, occasionally straight. Umbos low, inflated, about even with hinge line and curved downward. Beak sculpture consists of a few very weak ridges, apparent only in extremely small shells. Shell smooth with slightly elevated ridges indicating periods of growth. Periostracum rayless, light brown in young shells, becoming dark brown to black in older individuals. Length to 4 inches (10.2 cm) (Cummings, Mayer 1992).
Pseudocardinal teeth very heavy and well developed; two in the left valve, two in the right. Lateral teeth serrated and curved; two in the left valve, one in the right. Beak cavity very deep. Nacre pearly white, iridescent posteriorly (Cummings, Mayer 1992).
Hosts: Black and white crappie, skipjack herring (Watters 1995).
Habitat: Large rivers in sand and gravel (Cummings, Mayer 1992).
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