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.

The <b>Washboard</b>, <i>Megalonaias nervosa</i> (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.<br>Illinois State Museum Collection (ISM-676639)