Compare to Potamilus inflatus. Color is yellow to yellowgreen or dark brown in old specimens. The shell may have several fine, green, broken rays. The anterior end is rounded and the posterior is pointed. Nacre is white.
Color is yellow in small individuals to black in larger specimens.
Juveniles have a dark purple stripe on the umbo that extends ventrally. The beak is located centrally on the dorsal margin. Nacre is white to purple.