| Page last updated
7 May 2018 |
Mussel of the Month
The May 2018 Mussel of the Month is Mycetopodella falcata. Mycetopodella is a monotypic genus found in the upper Amazon and Orinoco basins of northern South America.
BMNH 1868.4.3.6. Streams near Challavitas [Peru], upper Amazon Basin. (type).
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We don’t have much to say about Mycetopodella. It has been nearly universally recognized as monotypic (i.e., M. falcata), in the same subfamily with the genus Mycetopoda (Parodiz & Bonetto, 1963; Graf & Cummings, 2007; Pereira et al., 2014). Haas (1916) described a single synonym based on a single specimen (M. boliveri), but no one seems to have been confused by it.
However, this widespread agreement over the last century resulted largely from a lack of contrary opinions rather than any kind of assent based on convincing evidence. Marshall (1927) described the genus as distinct from Mycetopoda largely to highlight the similarity of M. falcata with Solenaia of southeast Asia. It has never been included in a phylogenetic analysis (that we know of). |
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Classification:
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Subclass Palaeoheterodonta
Order Unionoida
Superfamily ETHERIOIDEA Deshayes, 1830
Family MYCETOPODIDAE Gray, 1840
Subfamily MYCETOPODINAE s.s.
Genus Mycetopodella Marshall, 1927
Species Mycetopodella falcata (Higgins, 1868) |
To find out more about Mycetopodella and South American freshwater mussels, check out:
- Graf, D.L. & K.S. Cummings. 2007. Review of the systematics and global diversity of freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionoida). Journal of Molluscan Studies 73: 291-314.
- Haas, F. 1916. Náyades del viaje al Pacífico: Verificado de 1862 á 1865 for una comisión de naturalistas enviada por el gobierno Español. Trabajos del Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid 25: 1-63.
- Marshall, W.B. 1927. A new genus and two new species of South American fresh-water mussels. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 71(2678): 1-4.
- Parodiz, J.J. & A.A. Bonetto. 1963. Taxonomy and zoogeographic relationships of the South American naiades (Pelecypoda: Unionacea and Mutelacea). Malacologia 1(2): 179-213.
- Pereira, D., M.C.D. Mansur, L.D.S. Duarte, A.S. de Oliveira, D.M. Pimpão et al. 2014. Bivalve distribution in hydrographic regions in South America: historical overview and conservation. Hydrobiologia 735: 15-44.
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