| Page last updated
Wed 1 October 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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Updated Table 4: Species richness and subregional endemism
by geography and familyThis page summarizes the current data on the richness and
endemism of freshwater mussel species in each biographical region
and subregion, broken down by family. These data update Table 4 of Graf & Cummings
(2021). Numbers within parentheses indicate the richness of endemic
species in each subregion. Family abbreviations:
UN, Unionidae;
MA, Margaritiferidae;
HY, Hyriidae;
ET, Etheriidae;
MY, Mycetopodidae;
IR, Iridinidae. For a more detailed summary of species and genus richness
by taxonomy, see Updated Table 3:
Richness of species and genera arranged by taxonomy and region. | Region | Unionoida | UN | MA | HY | ET | MY | IR | | global | 997 | 792 | 16 | 93 | 4 | 53 | 39 | | North America | 307 | 302 | 5 | — | — | — | — | | NA1 | 13 (0) | 13 (0) | — | — | — | — | — | | NA2 | 150 (95) | 148 (94) | 2 (1) | — | — | — | — | | NA3 | 65 (37) | 64 (37) | 1 (0) | — | — | — | — | | NA4 | 156 (105) | 154 (103) | 2 (2) | — | — | — | — | | NA5 | 8 (5) | 7 (5) | 1 (0) | — | — | — | — | | Central America | 66 | 58 | — | — | — | 8 | — | | CA1 | 66 (60) | 58 (56) | — | — | — | 8 (4) | — | | South America | 115 | — | — | 64 | 2 | 49 | — | | SA1 | 12 (5) | — | — | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 10 (3) | — | | SA2 | 31 (17) | — | — | 15 (9) | — | 16 (8) | — | | SA3 | 37 (12) | — | — | 14 (5) | 1 (0) | 22 (7) | — | | SA4 | 17 (4) | — | — | 8 (2) | — | 9 (2) | — | | SA5 | 63 (42) | — | — | 39 (32) | 1 (0) | 23 (10) | — | | SA6 | 3 (2) | — | — | 2 (2) | — | 1 (0) | — | | Afrotropics | 81 | 41 | — | — | 1 | — | 39 | | AF1 | 26 (16) | 13 (11) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 12 (5) | | AF2 | 18 (8) | 4 (2) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 13 (6) | | AF3 | 36 (29) | 19 (19) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 16 (10) | | AF4 | 16 (11) | 5 (4) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 10 (7) | | AF5 | 6 (1) | 2 (1) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | 3 (0) | | AF6 | 2 (1) | 1 (1) | — | — | 1 (0) | — | — | | North Eurasia | 47 | 43 | 4 | — | — | — | — | | EU1 | 35 (27) | 32 (25) | 3 (2) | — | — | — | — | | EU2 | 16 (11) | 15 (10) | 1 (1) | — | — | — | — | | EU3 | 3 (0) | 3 (0) | — | — | — | — | — | | East Asia | 365 | 356 | 8 | — | 1 | — | — | | AS1 | 3 (0) | 2 (0) | 1 (0) | — | — | — | — | | AS2 | 29 (16) | 28 (15) | 1 (1) | — | — | — | — | | AS3 | 28 (19) | 26 (18) | 2 (1) | — | — | — | — | | AS4 | 89 (65) | 87 (63) | 2 (2) | — | — | — | — | | AS5 | 150 (127) | 147 (124) | 3 (3) | — | — | — | — | | AS6 | 31 (24) | 31 (24) | — | — | — | — | — | | AS7 | 82 (77) | 81 (76) | — | — | 1 (1) | — | — | | Australasia | 31 | 2 | — | 29 | — | — | — | | AU1 | 14 (11) | — | — | 14 (11) | — | — | — | | AU2 | 7 (5) | — | — | 7 (5) | — | — | — | | AU3 | 11 (9) | 2 (2) | — | 9 (7) | — | — | — | | AU4 | 3 (3) | — | — | 3 (3) | — | — | — |
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