Mitten ordinary [1] ( lat. Unio pictorum ) - a species of freshwater bivalve mollusks of the family of the unionide , common in the waters of Europe and Asia.
| Common pearl barley |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Subclass : | Palaeoheterodonta |
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| International scientific name |
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Unio pictorum ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
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The height of the shell is from 23 to 40 mm, the length is from 72 to 90 mm or more. The walls of the shells are thick, from yellowish green to brownish in color.
Mother-of-pearl layer on the inside of the shells
It lives in lakes and rivers with a slow course, on sandy silted ground. It feeds on detritus suspended in water and small planktonic organisms. Clams are dioecious. Females have between 300,000 and 400,000 eggs. Larvae - glochidia - parasitize on the gills of fish. The maximum life expectancy is 15 years.
Shells of pearl barley were previously used to obtain mother of pearl when mixing paints, which is reflected in the Latin name of the species.
