In Canada, the kidneyshell is currently restricted to a 100 km section of the East Sydenham River, a 25 km stretch of the Ausable River, and the coastal margins of the St. Clair delta. The kidneyshell lives mainly in small to medium-sized rivers and streams, and appears to prefer shallow areas with clear, swift-flowing water. River and stream beds are usually firmly packed sand and gravel. The kidneyshell is often found buried deep in the substrate, frequently near beds of water willow.

The kidneyshell is easily distinguished from other mussels by its elongated, yellowish, yellow-green, yellow-brown or medium-brown shell. The shell has wide, interrupted green rays that resemble square spots. Old kidneyshells may be dark brown in colour and rayless. The inside of the shell is white to bluish-white, but can be pinkish-white in young kidneyshells. A freshwater mollusc that can grow to 10 centimetres in length, the kidneyshell is a moderately long-lived mussel that can live for at least 10 years.