| Page last updated
Wed 04 Dec 2024 |
The Freshwater Mussels (Unionoida) of the World (and other less consequential bivalves)
FM(U)otW(aolcb) is the web version of the MUSSEL Project Database. Follow the links to browse the data or use the custom Google search field. Either way, you win!
For each taxon, information is provided regarding habitat, horizon (Recent unless otherwise listed), and diversity. We are actively working on the Recent freshwater mussels, and those are the taxa for which the data are most complete. For other Recent freshwater bivalves, the information largely follows Graf (2013). For other taxa (e.g., marine, fossil), any content is largely incidental.
Search the database pages:
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Bivalvia class BIVALVIA
 order UNIONOIDA: 1015 Recent species.
These are the freshwater mussels. There are six modern families, restricted entirely to fresh waters. In addition, there are several fossil families.
5 superfamilies, 1 family, 2 genera
Distribution: Afrotropics, Australasia, Central America, East Asia, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
 order SPHAERIOIDA: 272 Recent species.
The Sphaeriidae is the second-most species-rich radition of bivalves into inland habitats.
1 superfamily
Distribution: Afrotropics, Australasia, Central America, East Asia, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
 order VENEROIDA: 151 Recent species.
The Cyrenidae represents the most significant radition of veneroids into fresh waters, but there are also a number of freshwater species in primarily marine families.
3 superfamilies
Distribution: Afrotropics, Australasia, Central America, East Asia, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
 order MYOIDA: 53 Recent species.
Myoids are also primarily marine bivalves, but there are freshwater species as well, including species of the Dreissenidae.
3 superfamilies
Distribution: Afrotropics, Australasia, Central America, East Asia, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
 order CARDIOIDA: 48 Recent species.
Cardioids are mostly marine, with a minor radition into freshened waters.
3 superfamilies
Distribution: Afrotropics, Central America, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
 order MYTILOIDA: 38 Recent species.
There are a few secondarily freshwater species in this order, but otherwise mytiloids are primarily marine.
1 superfamily
Distribution: Australasia, Central America, East Asia, North America, North Eurasia, South America. |
order ADAPEDONTA: 16 Recent species.
1 superfamily
Distribution: East Asia. |
order LUCINOIDA: not freshwater, 16 Recent species.
1 superfamily |
order TRIGONIOIDA: 8 Recent species.
2 superfamilies |
order ARCOIDA Lamarck, 1809: 5 Recent species.
Arcoids are primarily marine. However, one family is represented in fresh waters.
1 superfamily
Distribution: East Asia. |
genus Peregrinoconcha Chen & Lan, 1976: fossil only.
1 generic synonym | 2 valid species | cladomics |
order ARCHANODONTIDAE Modell, 1957: fossil only.
2 genera |
order MODIOMORPHOIDA: fossil only.
1 superfamily |
order PECTINOIDA: not freshwater, fossil only.
An order of bivalves that has freshwater species or at least species attributed to freshwater clades.
1 superfamily |
order PTERIOIDA: fossil only.
There are not really any freshwater pterioids, but at least one fossil family has been assigned to a freshwater clade.
1 superfamily |
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Page updated: 14:53:19 Wed 04 Dec 2024 |
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