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Page last updated
Thu 3 September 2025

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!

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Bivalvia | Unionoida | Unionoidea | Unionidae | Ambleminae | Pleurobemini | Elliptio

species Elliptio crassidens (Lamarck, 1819): synonymy
     5 specimens + 5 Genbank vouchers

Unio crassidens Lamarck, 1819
Lamarck, 1819. Hist. Natur. Anim. sans Vert. 6: 71, sp. 3, var. b. [in part]
Type(s): LECTOTYPE MNHN_MPL_0030, “du lac Erie” .

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Unio (s.s.) crassidensCall (1900)
Unio crassidensOrtmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1910), Vanatta (1915)
Elliptio crassidensOrtmann (1911), Ortmann (1912), Ortmann & Walker (1922), Ortmann (1924), Ortmann (1925), ... Smith (2021), Hopper et al. (2023), Hauck et al. (2023), MolluscaBase (2024), FMCS (2025)
Elliptio nigerOrtmann (1918), Modell (1942)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensThiele (1934), Haas (1969), Burch (1975)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio crassidens crassidensR.I. Johnson (1980), Oesch (1984)

Unio (Elliptio) nigra Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1818. Amer. Mon. Mag. 3: 355 [as ‘Potamilus niger’]. [nomen nudum]
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 291, pl. 80, figs. 1-4.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 22, 37.
Type(s): LECTOTYPE ANSP_20243, River Ohio.

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Elliptio nigraUtterback (1915)
Unio crassidensVanatta (1915)
Elliptio nigerOrtmann (1918), Modell (1942)
Elliptio crassidensOrtmann & Walker (1922), F.C. Baker (1928), Vidrine (1993), Parmalee & Bogan (1998), Brim Box & Williams (2000), Graf & Cummings (2007), Williams et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2009), Campbell & Lydeard (2012), Williams et al. (2014), Graf & Cummings (2021), MolluscaBase (2024)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927), Haas (1930)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidens crassidensR.I. Johnson (1980), Oesch (1984)

Unio (Elliptio) nigra var. fusca Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 293.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 39.
(intro'd as intra-sp. of Unio (Elliptio) nigra Rafinesque, 1820)

Vanatta (1915)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Williams et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2009)

Unio (Elliptio) nigra var. maculata Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 293.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 39.
(intro'd as intra-sp. of Unio (Elliptio) nigra Rafinesque, 1820)

Vanatta (1915)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927)
Fusconaia subrotundaR.I. Johnson (1980)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Williams et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2009)

Unio cuneatus Barnes, 1823
Barnes, 1823. Amer. J. Sci. 6 (1-2): 263.

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Elliptio nigraUtterback (1915)
Elliptio crassidensOrtmann & Walker (1922), F.C. Baker (1928), Parmalee & Bogan (1998), Brim Box & Williams (2000), Williams et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2009)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927), Haas (1930)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidens crassidensOesch (1984)

Obliquaria (Aximedia) venus Rafinesque, 1831
Rafinesque, 1831. Continuation: 3.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 75.

Simpson (1900), Simpson (1914), Burch (1975)
Quadrula (Fusconia [sic]) subrotundaFrierson (1927)
Fusconaia subrotundaHaas (1969)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Williams et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2009)

Unio incrassatus Lea, 1840
Lea, 1840. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. 1: 286.
Lea, 1842. Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. 8 [O. 3]: 217 [55], pl. 16, fig. 34.
Type(s): HOLOTYPE USNM_84537, Columbus, Ga.

Unio (sec. Elliptio) incrassatusSimpson (1900)
Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidens var. incrassatusSimpson (1914)
Elliptio (s.s.) niger-incrassatusFrierson (1927)
Elliptio crassidens incrassatusClench & Turner (1956)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Brim Box & Williams (2000), Williams et al. (2008), IUCN (2011), Williams et al. (2011), Williams et al. (2014)

Unio discus Sowerby, 1868
‘Lea’ Sowerby, 1868. Conch. Icon. 16: pl. 62, sp. 310; errata.
(misidentified reference to Unio discus Lea, 1838)

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Unio (Lampsilis) discusMartens (1900)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Watters et al. (2009)

Unio danielsii B.H. Wright, 1899
B.H. Wright, 1899. Nautilus 13(3): 31.
B.H. Wright, 1899. Nautilus 13(4): 43.
Type(s): HOLOTYPE USNM_168967, Spring Creek, Decatur Co., Georgia.

Unio (sec. Elliptio) danielsiiSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Elliptio (s.s.) niger-danielsiFrierson (1927)
Elliptio crassidens incrassatusClench & Turner (1956)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens danielsiiHaas (1969)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensR.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Brim Box & Williams (2000), Watters et al. (2009), Williams et al. (2011), Williams et al. (2014)

Elliptio pachyodon Olson & Harbison, 1953
Pilsbry in Olson & Harbison, 1953. ANSP Monogr. 8: 447, pl. 65, fig. 8.

Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensR.I. Johnson (1970)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensBurch (1975)
Elliptio crassidensWatters et al. (2009)
Elliptio pachyodonMolluscaBase (2024)

Unio okefenokensis of Authors, unknown year
B.H. Wright, in USNM Coll. of Authors.
Type(s): MANUSCRIPT NAME USNM_168966, Spanish Creek, Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia.

Unio niger Conrad, 1836
‘Rafinesque’ Conrad, 1836. Monogr. Fam. Unionidae 1(6): 49, pl. 46.
‘Rafinesque’ Conrad, 1853. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 6: 253.
(reference to Unio (Elliptio) nigra Rafinesque, 1820)

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900)

Unio crassus Sowerby, 1868
‘Say’ Sowerby, 1868. Conch. Icon. 16: pl. 95, sp. 520.
(misidentified reference to Unio crassus Say, 1817)

Lampsilis (sec. Eurynia) ligamentinus var. gibbusSimpson (1900)
Lampsilis (Eurynia) ligamentina var. gibbaSimpson (1914)
Lampsilis (Ortmanniana) carinata-calendisFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969)
Elliptio crassidensParmalee & Bogan (1998), Watters et al. (2009)

Taxonomic History (since 1900)

Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidensSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Unio (s.s.) crassidensCall (1900)
Simpson (1900), Simpson (1914), Vanatta (1915), Burch (1975)
Unio (sec. Elliptio) incrassatusSimpson (1900)
Lampsilis (sec. Eurynia) ligamentinus var. gibbusSimpson (1900)
Unio (Lampsilis) discusMartens (1900)
Unio (sec. Elliptio) danielsiiSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
Unio crassidensOrtmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1910), Vanatta (1915)
Elliptio crassidensOrtmann (1911), Ortmann (1912), Ortmann & Walker (1922), Ortmann (1924), Ortmann (1925), ... Smith (2021), Hopper et al. (2023), Hauck et al. (2023), MolluscaBase (2024), FMCS (2025)
Unio (sec. Elliptio) crassidens var. incrassatusSimpson (1914)
Lampsilis (Eurynia) ligamentina var. gibbaSimpson (1914)
Elliptio nigraUtterback (1915)
Elliptio nigerOrtmann (1918), Modell (1942)
Elliptio (s.s.) nigerFrierson (1927), Haas (1930)
Quadrula (Fusconia [sic]) subrotundaFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) niger-incrassatusFrierson (1927)
Lampsilis (Ortmanniana) carinata-calendisFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) niger-danielsiFrierson (1927)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidensThiele (1934), Haas (1969), Burch (1975)
Elliptio crassidens incrassatusClench & Turner (1956)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens crassidensHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1970)
Fusconaia subrotundaHaas (1969), R.I. Johnson (1980)
Elliptio (s.s.) crassidens danielsiiHaas (1969)
Elliptio crassidens crassidensR.I. Johnson (1980), Oesch (1984)
Elliptio pachyodonMolluscaBase (2024)

 
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