This species is unique because its glochidia are contained in packets (conglutinates) that resemble blackfly pupae (Simulidae)(Barnhart et al., 2008).
The water ruptured the tubes and flushed out conglutinates, which we stored in 70% ethanol.
For handling ease, we divided each gill into three equal sections based on the number of folds in the gill and then enumerated conglutinates for each section.
For each infestation, we opened gravid females, inserted a hypodermic needle into the water tubes of the marsupial gills and injected dechlorinated water to flush-out conglutinates. We teased conglutinates apart with dissecting probes to free glochidia.
We used 25 rainbow darters and 25 fantail darters from the Cumberland River drainage, and 10 conglutinates from each of nine mussels for each infestation.
Among these are the packaging of multiple glochidia into units called conglutinates that mimic fish food items.
We recently had the opportunity to examine a gravid female and conglutinates of the rare freshwater mussel Ptychobranchus greeni (Conrad, 1834).
Ortmann (1923) commented on the anatomy and conglutinates (placentae).
Approximately 14 h following initiation of the relaxation 17 conglutinates had been discharged into the container.
The vermiform conglutinates measured approximately 5.5 mm in length and 0.75 mm in diameter.