Hi Rick,
 
The Unionids have some interestingly descriptive and imaginative common names
(to me at least)... "floater" comes from the fact that most members of the
genus Anodonta have very thin shells and will actually float after death due
to buildup of gases caused by decay.  I've personally observed this on a
number of occasions in both Minnesota and Kansas.
One of my favorite common names is that of Potamilus alata (Say,1817)..."Pink
Heel-Splitter"...the shell has a rather large and thin dorsal posterior
wing...it's never happened to me, but I can imagine someone wading and
stepping onto one of these - and the resultant "split heel".  Can anyone tell
me the origin of "Mucket"?
 Ken Z.
 
Rick Harbo wrote:
>
> Family Unionidae (pearly mussels)- Subfamily Anodontinae (floater mussels)
> We have a species in our lakes of Vancouver Island,_Anodonta kennerlyi_
> Lea,1860 commonly called the "western floater".
>
> Can someone give me some background to the common name "floater mussels"?
>
> Thanks
> Rick Harbo
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