Orange County NC Website
' ;;~ <br />t <br />( North Carolina Nlvssel Atlas <br />L _... <br />i <br />http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg07 WildlifeSpeciesCon/pg7blal_$.him <br />~~~~~~~rr~€~~~~ r~i!rt'~~•~'Ld~ <br />Yi'•ILOtLEFE Spt:CfES 7t< ~{,1MSEB11~3431~t , <br />brook floater Alasr»idonta varicosa (Lamarck, 1819) <br />(exterior) <br />Please Note: Red text is defined in the Glossary <br />Description <br />Lamarck described the brook floater in 18'19 from <br />the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. This species ~~~~ <br />has a fairly small, thin, rhomboidal shaped shell <br />that rarely exceeds 70 mm ir4 length, 40' mm in <br />.height; and 30 mm in width. The conspicuous posterior slope is broad <br />and flat to slightly concave, with numerous short, law corrugations <br />'radiating toward'the posterior margin at right angles to the growth <br />fines. The periostracum is yellowish or brownish with numerous dark <br />green ar black rays. The nacre is glassy, bluish white and grades into <br />a pale .orange in the umbo area: The hinge teeth are poorly <br />developed. Each valve has one small thin, triangular pseudocardinal <br />tooth and lateral teeth are lacking •or vestigial.- This species has a <br />bright orange foot. ~ ._ <br />•. Di tributian see ma <br />-The braok•flaater is found in Atlantic Slope river basins from the <br />Savannah River Basin in South Carolina north to the St•Lawrence <br />River Basin in Canada. Et has.also been found in the Greenbrier River <br />{Ohio River Basin} of West Virginia. It is considered more common in <br />the northern part of its range. Distribution by County: Catawba River <br />Sasin: Burke Ca. (Linville River, Warrior Fork, and Johns River <br />subbasins}; Pee Dee River Basin: Surry Ca. (Mitcheil•River <br />Subbasin}, Randoipfi Co. (Caraway Cr. and Little River subbasins), <br />Montgomery Ca. (Lithe River and~~Barnes Cr. Subbasins); Cape Fear <br />River Basin:.Moore. Ca. (beep River), Chatham Co. (Rocky River <br />~Subbasin); Neuse River Basin: Orange Ca: (Eno River Subbasin) <br />NOTE: Alt headwater areas thaf flow info these occupied habitats <br />should receive specie! management: <br />Habitat Preferences ' <br />• This species inhabits medium size streams and rivers. It prefers <br />~~~~~~ ~ • ~• • ~ clean, swift uvaters with stable gravel, or sand and gravel substrates. <br />However, individuals found near•the mouth of the Linville River in North <br />Carolina were observed in sandy/silty substrate in cracks between <br />' boulders along a steep bank,, in 1 to 3 feet of water and relatively <br />' slow current. <br />[.ife History . <br />The brook floater is a bradytictic breeder. Gravid females have been <br />found from August through May. Ident~ed fish~hosts include <br />blacknose dace, golden shiner; longnose dace, margined madtom, <br />pumpkinseed, slimy sculpin'and yellow perch (Shultz and Marbain <br />1998) <br />• ~ (interior) ' <br />