Floodplain mussel explained

Velesunio ambiguus, the floodplain mussel,[1] or the billabong mussel (South Australia), is a species of freshwater bivalve in the family Hyriidae.

There are four other cryptic species in the genus Velesunio (which all look similar to Velesunio ambiguus) in Australia.[2]

Distribution

Australia: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,[3] and South Australia, where it is known as the billabong mussel.[4]

Biotope

Static waters.[3]

Life cycle

The lifespan of this mussel is over 20 years.[3]

It can survive temperatures from around 4 °C to over 30 °C.[3]

Human uses

Velesunio ambiguus serves as a food for Australian Aboriginal people, although its flesh is tough.[3]

This species can also be used in fish ponds to filter microscopic algae out of the water.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Desiccation tolerance of river and floodplain mussels in the Murray-Darling Basin. Report to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office.. Wright . D.. Thiem . J.. Blackman . E.. Beatty . S.. Lymbery . A.. Davis . S.. February 2022. NSW Department of Primary Industries. 9 September 2023. "While neither of the two species widely distributed through the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) (the river mussel Alathyria jacksoni and the floodplain mussel Velesunio ambiguus) are currently listed as threatened". 10.
  2. Web site: Conservation of the Australian freshwater mussel . North American Benthological Society . 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071214083744/http://www.benthos.org/database/allnabstracts.cfm/db/Anchorage2006abstracts/id/88 . 14 December 2007 . Fawcett J.H. . Hughes J.M. . Baker A.M..
  3. Web site: Freshwater Mussels - Velesunio ambiguous. Environmental Remediation of Wetlands and Dams . Aquablue Seafoods . 13 March 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200615173124/http://www.aquablueseafoods.com.au/other-mussels.shtml . 15 June 2020.
  4. Book: Critter Catalogue: A guide to the aquatic invertebrates of South Australian inland waters.. 28. 1-876562-67-6. June 2004. Sam. Wade. Tracey. Corbin. Linda-Marie. McDowell. Original illustrations by John Bradbury.. Environment Protection Authority (South Australia). 24 November 2020. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226091158/https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/files/8543_critters.pdf. live. "Two species of freshwater mussels (family Hyriidae) occur in South Australia-the river mussel (Alathyria jacksoni) and the billabong mussel (Velesunio ambiguus).".

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