| Page last updated
7 February 2018 |
Mussel of the Month
The February 2018 Mussel of the Month is Microdontia anodontaeformis. Microdontia is a monotypic genus endemic to New Guinea.
SMF 3534. Danau Yamur, West Papua, New Guinea (syntype of U. beauforti Bavay, 1908).
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Microdontia anodontaeformis is another one of those freshwater mussels about which we know almost nothing. Google it, and the top hits are on this web site. That usually indicates to us that there isn't too much more information out there than we are already serving. Unless, of course, you search only with the genus name. Then you get lots of dental web sites about small teeth but not freshwater mussels.
In addition to believing that M. anodontaeformis exists, it does its existing on the Australasian island of New Guinea, and it is classified in the Velesunioninae with some Australian hyriids. That is about the extent of our knowledge.
We are busy this month, so we will leave it at that. |
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Classification:
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Subclass Palaeoheterodonta
Order Unionoida
Family HYRIIDAE Swainson, 1840
Subfamily VELESUNIONINAE Iredale, 1934
Genus Microdontia Tapparone Canefri, 1883
Species Microdontia anodontaeformis (Tapparone Canefri, 1883) |
To find out more about Microdontia anodontaeformis and the New Guinea hyriids, check out:
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