Invertebrates
Painter's Mussel
Unio pictorum
On the sandy bed of a slow European river, a painter’s mussel lies half buried, an elongated shell that once could have held an artist’s yellow ochre.
Overview
The painter’s mussel, Unio pictorum, is a Least Concern freshwater mussel of rivers, canals, and lakes across much of Europe and western Asia. Its elongated shell, fish-borne larvae, and artistic past make it one of the most charming of European mussels.
A shell with a past in art
Before tubes and pots, painters mixed and stored their pigments in mussel shells, and the painter’s mussel was a convenient, naturally shaped, and pearly-lined dish.
Status
Least Concern, though local populations have declined.
Painter's Mussel: common questions
Why is it called the painter's mussel?
Its shells were once used by artists as small dishes to hold and mix their pigments.
How does the painter's mussel spread?
Its larvae attach to the gills and fins of fish for a few weeks, which carry them to new places, before dropping off to settle.
How big is the painter's mussel?
Its shell is elongated, usually 6 to 10 cm long.
Where is the painter's mussel found?
It lives in rivers, canals, and lakes across much of Europe and into western Asia.