Elliptio
| Elliptio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elliptio steinstansana | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Unionoida |
| Family: | Unionidae |
| Genus: | Elliptio Rafinesque, 1819 |
| Species | |
|
36 | |
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Elliptio is a genus of medium- to large-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, commonly known as the unionids, freshwater mussels or naiads.
In contrast with many other groups of American Unionidae, the Elliptio species reach their greatest diversity in the Atlantic-draining rivers of Georgia and the Carolinas, and large parts of Florida. One species ranges north into New England and southern Canada, and two occur in the interior Mississippi drainages. Most Elliptio species have elongated shells, with silvery or purplish interior nacre beneath a thick periostracum, and few reach large size or thickness.
The genus name Elliptio refers to the elliptical shape of these bivalves.
As of 2003 there are 36 species in the genus.[1]
Species
- Elliptio ahenea
- Elliptio angustata – Carolina lance
- Elliptio arca – Alabama spike
- Elliptio buckleyi
- Elliptio chipolaensis – Chipola slabshell
- Elliptio complanata – Eastern elliptio
- Elliptio congaraea
- Elliptio crassidens – Elephantear
- Elliptio dariensis
- Elliptio dilatata
- Elliptio downiei – Satilla elephantear
- Elliptio folliculata – pod lance
- Elliptio fraterna – brother spike
- Elliptio fumata
- Elliptio hopetonensis – Altamaha slabshell
- Elliptio icterina – variable spike
- Elliptio lanceolata – yellow lance
- Elliptio mcmichaeli – fluted elephantear
- Elliptio nigella – recovery pearly mussel, winged spike
- Elliptio producta – Atlantic spike
- Elliptio roanokensis – Roanoke slabshell
- Elliptio shepardiana – Altamaha lance
- Elliptio spinosa – Altamaha spinymussel, Georgia spinymussel
- Elliptio steinstansana – Tar River spinymussel
- Elliptio waltoni – Florida lance
References
- ↑ Williams, J. D. and M. A. Hoggarth. (2003). Morphological variation in glochidia shells of six species of Elliptio from Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast drainages in the southeastern United States. Proceedings of The Biological Society of Washington 116: 719-31.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elliptio. |
- Electric Elliptio Land. Division of Molluscs, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University.