Top Level
: Harvesting
: Mussels
: Mussel Species
The Washboard, Megalonaias nervosa (Rafinesque, 1820), is one of the largest freshwater mussels in North America, with a thick shell that reaches lengths of up to 28cm (11 inches). It was the most prized species for making shell buttons.
Illinois State Museum Collection (ISM-676639)
Photograph by Robert E. Warren, Illinois State Museum.