Bill's Botanical Forays

This time we diverge from looking at plants. On our hike on the Butterfly Trail at Lock # 30, Erie Canal, Macedon, New York, we found at least four mollusks. In the first picture, you can see the “beach” where we found them. It was mostly made up of the remains of shells. We would like to know what are the exact species. If you know or can verify the exact species of these mollusks please let us know.

The first shells that we are looking at are Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). They are an aggressive invasive species throughout a large portion of North America. They were first detected inNorth America in the Detroit-Windsor area in 1988. They are considered a serious pest.

 

 

This one is believed to be the bivalve mollusk called the Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea).

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what this is. For this article I am calling it a Striped Snail. This little guy was alive when we found it.

 

 

 

I am calling this one a Cone Snail. They are similar to some snails that we used raised in aquariums when I was younger.