OutdoorNebraska

30 Creeper, Strophitus undulatus Description: A small, short-lived species, rarely getting over 100mm. Somewhat oval shaped with a shell height being a bit more than half the shell length. The shell is thin, especially in juveniles, with no lateral or pseudocardinal teeth. The beak sculpture is composed of 3 or 4 coarse ridges which (rarely) may appear to be double looped. The nacre is white. Juveniles are a light tan which darkens to dark brown as they age. Juveniles and sometimes, adults, have faint green rays radiating from the beak to the edges of the shell. Similar species: Juvenile Giant floaters can be very similar but their double looped beak sculpture is usually quite distinctive. Also, juvenile Creepers have faint green rays the Giant floater does not have. The Paper pondshell has a thinner shell and the beaks are almost flat with no sculpturing. Cylindrical papershell is so similar, including their beak sculpture, that it can be very frustrating to decide which species you have in hand. As a general rule, the Cylindrical papershell is more inflated and not a broad in the dorsal/ventral direction. Conservation status: G5, N5, S3 Hosts: Black bullhead, black crappie, blacknose dace, blackside darter, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, brook stickleback, burbot, central stoneroller, channel catfish, common shiner, creek chub, fathead minnow, green sunfish, Iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, longnose dace, northern redbelly dace, plains killifish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sand shiner, smallmouth bass, spotfin shiner, walleye, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Habitats used: Small to medium streams and, occasionally, large rivers in mud, sand or gravel (Cummings and Mayer 1992). Small to large streams in gravel or mud-gravel substrate (Oesch 1995). Adaptable to a variety of habitats from high- gradient streams to meandering or channelized streams (Parmalee and Bogan 1998). Intermittent creeks to large rivers (Watters et.al. 2009). Distribution: Widespread in North America. From 100 th Meridian to east coast from Mexico to Manitoba to Ontario/Maine down to central North Carolina. Not found in southeastern U.S. (Alabama to North Carolina and south). Collection notes: The bulk of collections have been of relict and dead shell, particularly in the eastern portion of the state. Lives have been only been found in the Middle Platte River, Middle Loup River and in the Taylor-Ord Canal off the North Loup River. Comments: Given its habitat generalization and numerous host fishes, this species should be doing much better.

• Cover