Endangered Resources Program Species Information
Wartyback (Quadrula nodulata)
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Overview
Species Overview
Wartyback (Quadrula nodulata), a mussel listed as Threatened in Wisconsin, is found in large rivers in sand, mud, or fine gravel. It can be locally common. Six common host fishes have been reported, including crappie, bluegill, catfish, and bass species.
Status and NHI Documented Occurrences in Wisconsin
The table below provides information about the protected status (State and Federal Status) and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Wartyback (Quadrula nodulata). See the Working List Key for more information about the abbreviations used. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. For invertebrates, dots depict locations from the "Invertebrate Atlas," a database with occurrences of rare and common aquatic and select terrestrial invertebrate species found in Wisconsin and adjacent areas. While the invertebrate atlas is a quality assured database, not all records have been verified. The map is provided as a general reference of where this species has been found to date and is not meant as a range map.
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Detailed Information
Identification: Shell is brown or yellow, small, and heavy. Beak includes a few tubercles that extend onto the disc to the ventral margin in two diverging rows with no depression between them. Pseudocardinal teeth are serrated and heavy. Lateral teeth are serrated, short, heavy and straight. Nacre is pearly white and iridescent posteriorly. Anterior end is sharply rounded and the posterior end is sharply truncated, slightly winged or alate. Length to 3 inches (7.6 cm).
Habitat: Found in large rivers where it usually lives in sand or fine gravel. Juvenile shells often found on sandbars.
State Distribution: Occurs in the Mississippi and lower Wisconsin Rivers.
Phenology: Host fish for this species are known to be black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), white crappie (P.annularis), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Glochidia have been found on white crappie in September.
Management Guidance: Habitat destruction and river pollution have resulted in mussel declines. Protection of habitat and improvements in water quality along with restriction of dredging, impoundments, sand and gravel mining, and navigational improvements would benefit this species
Information compiled from publication PUB-ER-085-99 (now out-of-print).
Photos
No additional photos are available for Wartyback at this time.
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