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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!

Search the database pages:

Bivalvia | Unionoida | Etherioidea

family ETHERIIDAE Deshayes, 1832: cladomics
     4 genera

Cladomics pages are experimental — even more so than the rest of this site!

The purpose of the cladomics pages for each genus and family-group level taxon is to provide statistics and references indicating the extent to which published phylogenetic work supports the classification used here.

The Cladomics Summary provides an overview of the number of studies that have included terminal species representing this taxon as well as an indication of how frequently it has been recovered as monophyletic.

Following the summary, the available published clades representing the taxon are listed.

For more information, visit the Cladomics FARQ (frequently asked rhetorical questions) page. Abbreviations for the various statistics are explained on the FARQ!

Cladomics Summary

number of species = 4 (4 total)
number of subtaxa (rank: genus) = 4
analyzed in 37 cladograms in 24 publications
maximum number of terminals in an analysis = 3 (mean = 1.32, median = 1)
maximum number of subtaxa (genus) = 3 (mean = 1.32, median = 1)

Basic Monophyly

number of cladograms that test basic monophyly (i.e., more than 1 included species) = 7
maximum number of included terminals = 3, (mean = 2.71 median = 3)
maximum number of subtaxa (genus) = 3 (mean = 2.71, median = 3)
proportion of cladograms that support basic monophyly = 0.29

Rigorous Monophyly

number of cladograms that test rigorous monophyly = 7
(Rigorous monophyly refers to cladograms with terminal species representing more than one subtaxon (genus) taxon and at least one rigorous outgroup (family).
maximum number of included terminals = 3 (mean = 2.71, median = 3)
maximum number of subtaxa (genus) = 3 (mean = 2.71, median = 3)
proportion of cladograms that support rigorous monophyly = 0.29

Pairwise Cladogram Clustering

The graphs below depict in two dimensions all pair-wise ingroup distances within the cladome. See the Cladmoics FARQ for more information.


PCoA Ordination


NJ Tree

Hoeh et al., 2009 [Publ 2716], fig. 3

** Top Monophyly Cladogram **

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
33734344720
                 +-------- Iridinidae      
  +--------------+                         
  |              |  +----- Etheria **         
  |              +--+                      
  |                 |  +-- Mulleria **        
--+                 +--+                   
  |                    +-- Mycetopodidae   
  |                                        
  |  +-------------------- Margaritiferidae
  +--+                                     
     |  +----------------- Parreysiinae    
     +--+                                  
        |  +-------------- Pseudomulleria **  
        +--+                               
           |  +----------- Unioninae       
           +--+                            
              |  +-------- Contradentini   
              +--+                         
                 |  +----- Ambleminae      
                 +--+                      
                    |  +-- Gonideini       
                    +--+                   
                       +-- Pseudodontini

Huang et al., 2019 [Publ 3843], fig. 2

** Top Sister-Group Cladogram **

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110119892--
           +-- Anodontites     
  +--------+                   
  |        +-- Iridininae      
  |                            
--+        +-- Etheria **         
  |  +-----+                   
  |  |     +-- Aspathariinae   
  +--+                         
     |  +----- Mycetopodinae   
     +--+                      
        |  +-- Monocondylaeinae
        +--+                   
           +-- Lamproscapha

Graf & Cummings, 2006 [Publ 1968], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
3313447236
        +-- Mycetopodidae 
  +-----+                 
  |     +-- Iridinidae    
--+                       
  |  +----- Etheria **       
  +--+                    
     |  +-- Mulleria **      
     +--+                 
        +-- Pseudomulleria **

Bogan & Hoeh, 2000 [Publ 2650], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
328213315233
           +-------- Iridinidae      
  +--------+                         
  |        |  +----- Etheria **         
  |        +--+                      
  |           |  +-- Mulleria **        
--+           +--+                   
  |              +-- Mycetopodidae   
  |                                  
  |  +-------------- Parreysiinae    
  |  |                               
  +--+  +----------- Pseudomulleria **  
     |  |                            
     +--+  +-------- Anodontini      
        |  |                         
        +--+  +----- Gonideinae      
           |  |                      
           +--+----- Unionini        
              |                      
              |  +-- Margaritiferidae
              +--+                   
                 +-- Ambleminae

Hoeh et al., 2009 [Publ 2716], fig. 4

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
336333437217
                       +-- Etheria **         
                    +--+                   
                    |  +-- Mulleria **        
  +-----------------+                      
  |                 |  +-- Mycetopodidae   
  |                 +--+                   
--+                    +-- Iridinidae      
  |                                        
  |  +-------------------- Parreysiinae    
  +--+                                     
     |  +----------------- Pseudomulleria **  
     +--+                                  
        |  +-------------- Margaritiferidae
        +--+                               
           |  +----------- Pseudodontini   
           +--+                            
              |  +-------- Contradentini   
              +--+                         
                 |  +----- Unioninae       
                 +--+                      
                    |  +-- Gonideini       
                    +--+                   
                       +-- Ambleminae

Hoeh et al., 2009 [Publ 2716], fig. 5

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
31083437232
  +----------- Pseudomulleria **
--+                          
  |  +-------- Mulleria **      
  +--+                       
     |  +----- Etheria **       
     +--+                    
        |  +-- Mycetopodidae 
        +--+                 
           +-- Iridinidae

Graf, 2000 [Publ 2647], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
22021532--
  +-------- Iridinidae   
  |                      
--+  +----- Anodontitinae
  |  |                   
  +--+----- Mycetopodinae
     |                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mulleria **

Walker et al., 2006 [Publ 2666], fig. 6

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
2702347235
  +----------- Iridininae   
--+                         
  |  +-------- Etheria **      
  +--+                      
     |  +----- Aspathariinae
     +--+                   
        |  +-- Mulleria **     
        +--+                
           +-- Mycetopodidae

Bolotov et al., 2016 [Publ 3743], fig. 4

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012932--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Wu et al., 2020 [Publ 4121], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11013352--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Smith, 2021 [Publ 4331], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11011911--
  +-- Etheria **   
--+             
  +-- Iridinidae

Lopes-Lima et al., 2018 [Publ 3829], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012752--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Lemer et al., 2019 [Publ 4093], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
1101511--
  +-- Etheria **   
--+             
  +-- Iridinidae

Combosch et al., 2017 [Publ 3806], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11011452--
  +-------- Aspathariinae
--+                      
  |  +----- Etheria **      
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Iridininae   
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Huang et al., 2018 [Publ 3828], fig. 3_5

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012852--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Pfeiffer et al., 2019 [Publ 3937], fig. 6

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11015622--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Huang et al., 2019 [Publ 3843], fig. S4

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110119892--
  +-------- Etheria **         
  |                         
  +-------- Aspathariinae   
  |                         
--+     +-- Anodontites     
  +-----+                   
  |     +-- Iridininae      
  |                         
  |  +----- Mycetopodinae   
  +--+                      
     |  +-- Monocondylaeinae
     +--+                   
        +-- Lamproscapha

Wu et al., 2021 [Publ 4366], fig. 6

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11019042--
  +----- Iridinidae   
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Mycetopodidae

Konopleva et al., 2017 [Publ 3807], fig. 6

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11013022--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Bolotov et al., 2017 [Publ 3761], fig. S2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110113832--
  +----- Iridinidae   
--+                   
  |  +-- Mycetopodidae
  +--+                
     +-- Etheria **

Sano et al., 2020 [Publ 4138], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11016752--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Lopes-Lima et al., 2018 [Publ 3829], fig. 3

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012752--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Lopes-Lima et al., 2017 [Publ 3745], fig. 1-2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11017952--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Combosch et al., 2017 [Publ 3806], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11011452--
  +-------- Aspathariinae
--+                      
  |  +----- Etheria **      
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Iridininae   
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Graf et al., 2015 [Publ 3619], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11011922--
  +----- Iridinidae   
--+                   
  |  +-- Mycetopodidae
  +--+                
     +-- Etheria **

Elderkin et al., 2016 [Publ 3693], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
1101211--
-- Etheria_elliptica **

Bolotov et al., 2017 [Publ 3761], fig. S1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110113832--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Chen et al., 2025 [Publ 4455], fig. 1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012542--
  +----- Iridinidae   
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Mycetopodidae

Pfeiffer & Graf, 2015 [Publ 3620], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11013922--
  +----- Etheria **      
--+                   
  |  +-- Mycetopodidae
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Bolotov et al., 2016 [Publ 3743], fig. 2

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11012932--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Wu et al., 2021 [Publ 4366], fig. 2_I

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11019042--
  +----- Iridinidae   
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Mycetopodidae

Sano et al., 2020 [Publ 4138], fig. 4

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11016752--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Pfeiffer et al., 2019 [Publ 3937], fig. 4-5

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11015622--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Lopes-Lima et al., 2020 [Publ 4080], fig. 2-4

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110112042--
  +----- Mycetopodidae
--+                   
  |  +-- Etheria **      
  +--+                
     +-- Iridinidae

Sano et al., 2020 [Publ 4138], fig. 3

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11016752--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae

Huang et al., 2019 [Publ 3843], fig. S3

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
110119692--
           +-- Anodontites     
  +--------+                   
  |        +-- Iridininae      
  |                            
--+        +-- Etheria **         
  |  +-----+                   
  |  |     +-- Aspathariinae   
  +--+                         
     |  +----- Mycetopodinae   
     +--+                      
        |  +-- Monocondylaeinae
        +--+                   
           +-- Lamproscapha

Wu et al., 2020 [Publ 4121], fig. S1

iTtTbiriSoTroTroSiD
11013352--
  +-------- Iridininae   
--+                      
  |  +----- Aspathariinae
  +--+                   
     |  +-- Etheria **      
     +--+                
        +-- Mycetopodidae
 
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