Freshwater softshell clam (an unusually large specimen), Kowanyama Land and Natural Resources Management Office, Sun Mar 16, 1997 (Photo: PH). The Australian fifty cent coin, approximately 32 mm in diameter, allows for an approximation of size.
Freshwater shells serve are important for a variety of reasons. First, they are good to eat, typically boiled in a billycan. The shells are also used as a small dish, such as for carrying small amounts of sugarbag wax or mixing white paint. The shells can also be used as a scraper.