Description North America Region

North American SubregionsThe region includes all of North America, north of the Mexican Plateau. It is the second-most most species-rich region in the world, with 319 species (69 genera) of freshwater mussels. The families represented are Unionidae and Margaritiferidae.

North America is composed of five subregions. The Canadian Interior Subregion drains to southern and eastern Hudson Bay and the Arctic (NA1; 12 gen., 13 spp., 0 endemic) The Mississippi-Great Lakes Subregion (NA2; 55 gen., 154 spp., 99 endemic) which includes the Mississippi Basin and the adjacent, formerly glaciated areas of the Great Lakes. The streams draining directly to the Atlantic comprise the Atlantic Slope Subregion (NA3; 26 gen., 69 spp., 41 endemic), which extends from the glaciated portions of eastern Canada and the USA, south to Georgia. The Gulf-Florida Subregion (NA4; 44 gen., 160 spp., 109 endemic) is a real hot-spot of freshwater mussel diversity that occurs from the Rio Grande Basin in Mexico, east to peninsular Florida. West of the continental divide is the Pacific Subregion (NA5; 5 gen., 8 spp., 5 endemic). The Pacific Subregion shares closer affinities with East Asia than the rest of North America.

Freshwater mussels of the Subregions

Endemic species are marked with an asterisk (*).

Canadian Interior (NA1)

  1. Amblema plicata
  2. Anodontoides ferussacianus
  3. Fusconaia flava
  4. Lampsilis cardium
  5. Lampsilis siliquoidea
  6. Lasmigona costata
  7. Ligumia recta
  1. Platynaias compressa
  2. Potamilus alatus
  3. Pterosyna complanata
  4. Pyganodon grandis
  5. Quadrula quadrula
  6. Strophitus undulatus

Mississippi-Great Lakes (NA2)

  1. Alasmidonta atropurpurea*
  2. Alasmidonta marginata
  3. Alasmidonta raveneliana*
  4. Alasminota holstonia*
  5. Amblema plicata
  6. Anodontoides denigratus*
  7. Anodontoides ferussacianus
  8. Arcidens confragosus
  9. Arcidens wheeleri*
  10. Cambarunio dactylus*
  11. Cambarunio hesperus*
  12. Cambarunio iris
  13. Cambarunio jonesii
  14. Cambarunio nebulosus
  15. Cambarunio simus*
  16. Cambarunio taeniatus*
  17. Cumberlandia monodonta*
  18. Cyclonaias tuberculata*
  19. Cyprogenia aberti*
  20. Cyprogenia stegaria*
  21. Dromus dromas*
  22. Ellipsaria lineolata
  23. Elliptio complanata
  24. Elliptio crassidens
  25. Epioblasma ahlstedti*
  26. Epioblasma arcaeformis*
  27. Epioblasma aureola*
  28. Epioblasma biemarginata*
  29. Epioblasma brevidens*
  30. Epioblasma capsaeformis*
  31. Epioblasma cincinnatiensis*
  32. Epioblasma curtisii*
  33. Epioblasma flexuosa*
  34. Epioblasma florentina*
  35. Epioblasma gubernaculum*
  36. Epioblasma haysiana*
  37. Epioblasma lenior*
  38. Epioblasma lewisii*
  39. Epioblasma obliquata*
  40. Epioblasma perobliqua*
  41. Epioblasma personata*
  42. Epioblasma propinqua*
  43. Epioblasma rangiana*
  44. Epioblasma sampsonii*
  45. Epioblasma stewardsonii*
  46. Epioblasma torulosa*
  47. Epioblasma triquetra*
  48. Epioblasma turgidula*
  49. Epioblasma walkeri*
  50. Eurynia dilatata*
  51. Fusconaia cor*
  52. Fusconaia cuneolus*
  53. Fusconaia flava
  54. Fusconaia ozarkensis*
  55. Fusconaia subrotunda*
  56. Glebula rotundata
  57. Hemistena lata*
  58. Lampsilis abrupta*
  59. Lampsilis brittsi*
  60. Lampsilis cardium
  61. Lampsilis fasciola*
  62. Lampsilis higginsii*
  63. Lampsilis hydiana
  64. Lampsilis ovata*
  65. Lampsilis powellii*
  66. Lampsilis rafinesqueana*
  67. Lampsilis reeveiana*
  68. Lampsilis satura
  69. Lampsilis sietmani
  70. Lampsilis siliquoidea
  71. Lampsilis streckeri*
  72. Lampsilis teres
  73. Lampsilis virescens*
  74. Lasmigona costata
  75. Leaunio lienosus
  76. Leaunio ortmanni*
  77. Leaunio pataecus*
  1. Leaunio umbrans
  2. Leaunio vanuxemensis*
  3. Lemiox rimosus*
  4. Ligumia recta
  5. Margaritifera falcata
  6. Medionidus conradicus*
  7. Megalonaias nervosa
  8. Obliquaria reflexa
  9. Obovaria arkansasensis
  10. Obovaria neeskaensis*
  11. Obovaria retusa*
  12. Obovaria subrotunda*
  13. Ortmanniana ligamentina*
  14. Ortmanniana pectorosa*
  15. Paetulunio fabalis*
  16. Pegias fabula*
  17. Platynaias compressa
  18. Platynaias subviridis
  19. Plectomerus dombeyanus
  20. Plethobasus cicatricosus*
  21. Plethobasus cooperianus*
  22. Plethobasus cyphyus*
  23. Pleurobema clava*
  24. Pleurobema cordatum*
  25. Pleurobema oviforme*
  26. Pleurobema parmaleei*
  27. Pleurobema plenum*
  28. Pleurobema sintoxia*
  29. Pleuronaia barnesiana*
  30. Pleuronaia dolabelloides*
  31. Pleuronaia estabrookiana*
  32. Pleuronaia gibber*
  33. Potamilus alatus
  34. Potamilus capax*
  35. Potamilus fragilis
  36. Potamilus leptodon*
  37. Potamilus ohiensis
  38. Potamilus purpuratus
  39. Pseudoon olivarium*
  40. Pterosyna complanata
  41. Ptychobranchus fasciolaris*
  42. Ptychobranchus occidentalis*
  43. Ptychobranchus subtentus*
  44. Pustulosa nodulata
  45. Pustulosa pustulosa
  46. Pyganodon grandis
  47. Pyganodon lacustris
  48. Quadrula fragosa*
  49. Quadrula nobilis
  50. Quadrula quadrula
  51. Quadrula verrucosa
  52. Reginaia ebenus
  53. Sagittunio nasutus
  54. Sagittunio subrostratus
  55. Simpsonaias ambigua*
  56. Strophitus undulatus
  57. Sulcularia viridis*
  58. Theliderma cylindrica*
  59. Theliderma intermedia*
  60. Theliderma metanevra
  61. Theliderma sparsa*
  62. Toxolasma cylindrellus*
  63. Toxolasma glans*
  64. Toxolasma lividum*
  65. Toxolasma parvum
  66. Toxolasma texasiense
  67. Truncilla donaciformis
  68. Truncilla truncata
  69. Uniomerus declivis
  70. Uniomerus tetralasmus
  71. Utterbackia imbecillis
  72. Utterbackiana suborbiculata
  73. Venustaconcha ellipsiformis*
  74. Venustaconcha pleasii*
  75. Venustaconcha trabalis*
  76. Venustaconcha troostensis*
  77. Villosa vibex

Atlantic Slope (NA3)

  1. Alasmidonta arcula*
  2. Alasmidonta marginata
  3. Alasmidonta robusta*
  4. Alasmidonta undulata*
  5. Alasmidonta uwharriensis*
  6. Alasmidonta varicosa*
  7. Anodontoides ferussacianus
  8. Atlanticoncha ochracea*
  9. Cambarunio iris
  10. Elliptio angustata*
  11. Elliptio arctata
  12. Elliptio cistellaeformis*
  13. Elliptio complanata
  14. Elliptio congaraea*
  15. Elliptio dariensis
  16. Elliptio downiei*
  17. Elliptio fisheriana*
  18. Elliptio folliculata*
  19. Elliptio fraterna
  20. Elliptio hopetonensis*
  21. Elliptio icterina*
  22. Elliptio marsupiobesa*
  23. Elliptio mediocris*
  24. Elliptio nasutidus*
  25. Elliptio producta*
  26. Elliptio roanokensis*
  27. Elliptio shepardiana*
  28. Elliptio spinosa*
  29. Fusconaia flava
  30. Fusconaia masoni*
  31. Lampsilis cardium
  32. Lampsilis cariosa*
  33. Lampsilis dolabraeformis*
  34. Lampsilis radiata*
  35. Lampsilis siliquoidea
  1. Lampsilis splendida*
  2. Lasmigona costata
  3. Ligodonta obscura*
  4. Ligumia recta
  5. Margaritifera margaritifera
  6. Obovaria pinetorum*
  7. Parvaspina collina*
  8. Parvaspina lanceolata
  9. Parvaspina steinstansana*
  10. Platynaias compressa
  11. Platynaias decorata*
  12. Platynaias subviridis
  13. Potamilus alatus
  14. Potamilus fragilis
  15. Prolasmidonta heterodon*
  16. Pyganodon cataracta
  17. Pyganodon fragilis*
  18. Pyganodon gibbosa*
  19. Pyganodon grandis
  20. Pyganodon lacustris
  21. Sagittunio aldermani*
  22. Sagittunio nasutus
  23. Sagittunio vaughanianus*
  24. Sinanodonta pacifica
  25. Strophitus undulatus
  26. Toxolasma granulatum*
  27. Toxolasma pullus*
  28. Uniomerus carolinianus
  29. Utterbackia imbecillis
  30. Utterbackiana couperiana
  31. Utterbackiana implicata*
  32. Venustaconcha constricta*
  33. Villosa delumbis*
  34. Villosa vibex

Gulf of Mexico-Florida (NA4)

  1. Alasmidonta mccordi*
  2. Alasmidonta triangulata*
  3. Alasmidonta wrightiana*
  4. Alasminota etowaensis*
  5. Amblema elliottii*
  6. Amblema neislerii*
  7. Amblema plicata
  8. Arcidens confragosus
  9. Cambarunio jonesii
  10. Cambarunio nebulosus
  11. Cyrtonaias berlandierii*
  12. Disconaias conchos*
  13. Ellipsaria lineolata
  14. Elliptio ahenea*
  15. Elliptio arca*
  16. Elliptio arctata
  17. Elliptio chipolaensis*
  18. Elliptio crassidens
  19. Elliptio dariensis
  20. Elliptio fraterna
  21. Elliptio fumata*
  22. Elliptio jayensis*
  23. Elliptio mcmichaeli*
  24. Elliptio monroensis*
  25. Elliptio nigella*
  26. Elliptio occulta*
  27. Elliptio pullata*
  28. Elliptio purpurella*
  29. Elliptoideus sloatianus*
  30. Epioblasma metastriata*
  31. Epioblasma othcaloogensis*
  32. Epioblasma penita*
  33. Fusconaia askewi*
  34. Fusconaia burkei*
  35. Fusconaia cerina*
  36. Fusconaia chunii*
  37. Fusconaia escambia*
  38. Fusconaia flava
  39. Fusconaia iheringi*
  40. Fusconaia lananensis*
  41. Fusconaia mitchelli*
  42. Glebula rotundata
  43. Hamiota altilis*
  44. Hamiota australis*
  45. Hamiota perovalis*
  46. Hamiota subangulata*
  47. Lampsilis bergmanni*
  48. Lampsilis binominata*
  49. Lampsilis bracteata*
  50. Lampsilis floridensis*
  51. Lampsilis hydiana
  52. Lampsilis ornata*
  53. Lampsilis satura
  54. Lampsilis sietmani
  55. Lampsilis siliquoidea
  56. Lampsilis straminea*
  57. Lampsilis teres
  58. Leaunio lienosus
  59. Leaunio umbrans
  60. Ligumia recta
  61. Margaritifera hembeli*
  62. Margaritifera marrianae*
  63. Medionidus acutissimus*
  64. Medionidus parvulus*
  65. Medionidus penicillatus*
  66. Medionidus simpsonianus*
  67. Medionidus walkeri*
  68. Megalonaias nervosa
  69. Obliquaria reflexa
  70. Obovaria arkansasensis
  71. Obovaria choctawensis*
  72. Obovaria haddletoni*
  73. Obovaria lumbo*
  74. Obovaria sipseyensis*
  75. Obovaria tallahattae*
  76. Obovaria unicolor*
  77. Parvaspina lanceolata
  78. Platynaias subviridis
  79. Plectomerus dombeyanus
  80. Pleurobema athearni*
  1. Pleurobema beadleianum*
  2. Pleurobema curtum*
  3. Pleurobema decisum*
  4. Pleurobema fibuloides*
  5. Pleurobema georgianum*
  6. Pleurobema hanleyianum*
  7. Pleurobema hartmanianum*
  8. Pleurobema marshalli*
  9. Pleurobema perovatum*
  10. Pleurobema pyriforme*
  11. Pleurobema riddellii*
  12. Pleurobema rubellum*
  13. Pleurobema stabile*
  14. Pleurobema strodeanum*
  15. Pleurobema taitianum*
  16. Pleurobema verum*
  17. Popenaias popeii*
  18. Potamilus amphichaenus*
  19. Potamilus fragilis
  20. Potamilus inflatus*
  21. Potamilus metnecktayi*
  22. Potamilus ohiensis
  23. Potamilus purpuratus
  24. Potamilus streckersoni*
  25. Pseudodontoideus connasaugaensis*
  26. Pseudodontoideus subvexus*
  27. Pterosyna alabamensis*
  28. Pterosyna complanata
  29. Ptychobranchus foremanianus*
  30. Ptychobranchus greenii*
  31. Ptychobranchus jonesi*
  32. Pustulosa infucata*
  33. Pustulosa kieneriana*
  34. Pustulosa kleiniana*
  35. Pustulosa necki*
  36. Pustulosa nodulata
  37. Pustulosa petrina*
  38. Pustulosa pustulosa
  39. Pustulosa succissa*
  40. Pyganodon cataracta
  41. Pyganodon grandis
  42. Quadrula couchiana*
  43. Quadrula nobilis
  44. Quadrula quadrula
  45. Quadrula verrucosa
  46. Reginaia apalachicola*
  47. Reginaia ebenus
  48. Reginaia rotulata*
  49. Sagittunio subrostratus
  50. Strophitus howellsi*
  51. Strophitus pascagoulaensis*
  52. Strophitus radiatus*
  53. Strophitus undulatus
  54. Strophitus williamsi*
  55. Theliderma johnsoni*
  56. Theliderma metanevra
  57. Theliderma stapes*
  58. Toxolasma corvunculus*
  59. Toxolasma germanum*
  60. Toxolasma parvum
  61. Toxolasma paulum*
  62. Toxolasma texasiense
  63. Truncilla cognata*
  64. Truncilla donaciformis
  65. Truncilla macrodon*
  66. Truncilla truncata
  67. Uniomerus carolinianus
  68. Uniomerus columbensis*
  69. Uniomerus declivis
  70. Uniomerus tetralasmus
  71. Utterbackia imbecillis
  72. Utterbackia peggyae*
  73. Utterbackia peninsularis*
  74. Utterbackiana couperiana
  75. Utterbackiana hartfieldorum*
  76. Utterbackiana heardi*
  77. Utterbackiana suborbiculata
  78. Villosa amygdalum*
  79. Villosa vibex
  80. Villosa villosa*

Pacific (NA5)

  1. Beringiana beringiana
  2. Brachyanodon californiensis*
  3. Brachyanodon kennerlyi*
  4. Brachyanodon nuttalliana*
  1. Brachyanodon oregonensis*
  2. Gonidea angulata*
  3. Margaritifera falcata
  4. Pyganodon grandis