What a great read, and a real treat to view all these excellent pictures! What a great reminder that I need to bring my wetsuit and snorkel with me as Brian and I make some stops on the way down to the convention. I'm bringing the underwater camera with, watch out!
Central Tennessee over Labor Day Weekend
Started by
Guest_farmertodd_*
, Sep 14 2009 09:36 AM
54 replies to this topic
#42
Guest_farmertodd_*
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Posted 23 September 2009 - 08:04 AM
Can't wait to see what you come back with Nate. You should also make it a priority to go on the spring trip at the Convention. I think you guys are going up to Wikiwatchie, right? One of my friend's parents have a place in Aripika (however you spell any of these things), and the estuary areas there were unbelievable... you had all the freshwater and saltwater stuff right in the same place with amazing water clarity. And very very few gators 
Todd
Todd
#45
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 25 September 2009 - 09:38 AM
My minor contribution...My schedule seemed to be ever evolving, a common theme it seems, so I took advantage of the first full day (Monday) I was in TN and headed south to the Duck River with Jeremy Tiemann and a few colleauges of mine. Our primary objective was to make a collection of mussels for the Illinois Natural History Survey, Jeremy's employer, and being pretty familiar with the fauna of the river I jumped at the chance to go along.
Jeremy and I on the hunt...
One of the largest Megalonaias nervosa (Washboard) I've ever seen...
An odd surprise! I've been to this location at least a dozen times over a two year period and my then graduate advisor had been going there for years. Needless to say when I saw this Ptychobranchus subtentum (Fluted kidneyshell) I said "This isn't supposed to be here!". Later in the week I found Don Hubbs, the TWRA mussel biologist at my graduate school alumni social and found out he had been translocating them to the Duck River since I left TN.
Another large specimen; Amblema plicata (Threeridge). Not to be confused with the Washboard. Things just get bigger on the Duck River.
Another really exciting find...Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica (Rough rabbitsfoot) and again, BIG ONES!
No way, ANOTHER huge specimen! This time, one of the largest Cyclonaias tuberculata (Purple wartyback) I've ever seen, though I have a sneaky suspicion this isn't the first time we've met.
A somewhat atypical Quadrula verrucosa (Pistolgrip).
A handful of freshly eaten (likely racoon) Villosa taeniata (Painted creekshell)
A really widespread and ubiquitous mussel, but not often found on the Duck River, Pyganodon grandis (Giant floater).
I can't explain why, but this is one of my favorite shells. It isn't very flashy, large, elaborate, or colorful. Just simple. Obovaria subrotunda (Round hickorynut).
Now some other nice finds from different aquatic fauna...
Jeremy and I on the hunt...
One of the largest Megalonaias nervosa (Washboard) I've ever seen...
An odd surprise! I've been to this location at least a dozen times over a two year period and my then graduate advisor had been going there for years. Needless to say when I saw this Ptychobranchus subtentum (Fluted kidneyshell) I said "This isn't supposed to be here!". Later in the week I found Don Hubbs, the TWRA mussel biologist at my graduate school alumni social and found out he had been translocating them to the Duck River since I left TN.
Another large specimen; Amblema plicata (Threeridge). Not to be confused with the Washboard. Things just get bigger on the Duck River.
Another really exciting find...Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica (Rough rabbitsfoot) and again, BIG ONES!
No way, ANOTHER huge specimen! This time, one of the largest Cyclonaias tuberculata (Purple wartyback) I've ever seen, though I have a sneaky suspicion this isn't the first time we've met.
A somewhat atypical Quadrula verrucosa (Pistolgrip).
A handful of freshly eaten (likely racoon) Villosa taeniata (Painted creekshell)
A really widespread and ubiquitous mussel, but not often found on the Duck River, Pyganodon grandis (Giant floater).
I can't explain why, but this is one of my favorite shells. It isn't very flashy, large, elaborate, or colorful. Just simple. Obovaria subrotunda (Round hickorynut).
Now some other nice finds from different aquatic fauna...
Attached Images
#47
Guest_Uland_*
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Posted 25 September 2009 - 10:20 AM
Great photos Matt and thanks for posting. I'm fairly certain I would have confused the threeridge with a washboard and the angle on the purple wartyback almost makes it look like Quadrula pustulosa to me (not doubting the ID).
I have yet to see a live pistolgrip and a bit surprised they get that big.
I have yet to see a live pistolgrip and a bit surprised they get that big.
#49
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 25 September 2009 - 11:13 AM
I could show you places in the Tennessee near here where you could find washboards larger than the one in your picture, which is a good-sized one. And who doesn't like a big ol' purple wartyback?
Yeah but getting from the Tennessee you'd expect that. After all, the drainage area is like an order of magnitude or more higher. It's truely a BIG RIVER, the Duck is not what I'd call a BIG river.
Uland I thought the same thing looking at the picture. The way I'm holding it kind of is misleading. You can't see how compressed the shell is and the wear on the pustules and umbo doesn't help. The Q. pustulosa down there can be down right aggrivating though! Some of the strangest forms I've ever seen. I think I have a picture of one somewhere, just didn't post it. The big and consistent difference between the M. nervosa and A. plicata is pustules/custations on and posterior to the umbo vs. lacking. My close up picture isn't very good so I'd have to dig a shell out of the garage to show you the comparative characteristics.
#54
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Posted 26 September 2009 - 01:08 PM
The AC article summarizes the most recent phylogeny of Tennessee and Cumberland river species. Somewhere the full article is posted on the forum too. I'm not sure there is an all Ulocentra tree available, but from the several someone could probably piece it together (and write it into an AC article).
#55
Guest_natureman187_*
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Posted 26 September 2009 - 05:52 PM
Is that duck darter a close relative of the snubnose? Other than the yellow and red on it's head it looks nearly identicle in shape and coloring.
This shows the differences quite nicely.
Powers___Mayden_2007.pdf 1.6MB
86 downloads
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