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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

genus Pleurobema Rafinesque, 1819: synonymy
     22 Recent valid species (30 total species)

Pleurobema Rafinesque, 1819
Rafinesque, 1819. Jour. Phys. Chim. Hist. Nat. 88: 427.
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 313 [as ‘Pleurobema’].
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 29, 56.
(intro'd as sub-gen. of Unio Retzius, 1788)
Type species: Pleurobema mytiloides Rafinesque, 1820 (sub. desig. by Herrmannsen, 1847: 291) = Pleurobema clava

Aximedia Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 296.
Rafinesque, 1831. Continuation: 3.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 41, 75.
(intro'd as sub-gen. of Unio Retzius, 1788)
Type species: Unio (Aximedia) elliptica Rafinesque, 1820 (sub. desig. by Fischer, 1887: 1000) = Pleurobema clava

Scalenaria Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 309.
Rafinesque, 1831. Continuation: 3.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 52, 76.
(intro'd as sub-gen. of Obliquaria Rafinesque, 1820)
Type species: Obliquaria (Scalenaria) scalenia Rafinesque, 1820 (sub. desig. by Herrmannsen, 1848: 422) = Pleurobema clava

Sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 310.
Rafinesque, 1831. Continuation: 3.
Rafinesque, 1864. [in] Binney & Tryon, reprint: 53, 75.
(intro'd as sub-gen. of Obliquaria Rafinesque, 1820)
Type species: Obliquaria (Sintoxia) sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820 (tautonomy) = Pleurobema sintoxia

Scatenaria Rafinesque, 1820
Rafinesque, 1820. Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys. 5 (13): 419.
(error for Scalenaria Rafinesque, 1820)

Syntoxia Agassiz, 1846
Agassiz, 1846. Nomencl. Zool. Index Univ.: 359.
(new name for Sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820)

Syntonia Schaufuss, 1869
Schaufuss, 1869. Moll. Syst. Cat. Paetel 7: 21.
(error for Sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820)

Sintoina Paetel, 1875
Paetel, 1875. Fam. Gatt. Moll.: 191.
(error for Sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820)

Pleurobenea Salisbury, 1948
Salisbury, 1948. Zool. Rec. 82: 82.
(error for Pleurobema Rafinesque, 1819)

Lintoxia Haas, 1969
‘Rafinesque’ Haas, 1969. Treatise on Invert. Paleo: N439.
(error for Sintoxia Rafinesque, 1820)

Lyntoxia Haas, 1969
‘Rafinesque’ Haas, 1969. Treatise on Invert. Paleo: N439.
(error for Syntoxia Agassiz, 1846)

Taxonomic History (since 1900)

Pleurobema (s.s.)Simpson (1900), Simpson (1914), Frierson (1927), Haas (1930)
Unio (s.s.)Call (1900)
Quadrula (sec. Fusconaia)Simpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
ObovariaSimpson (1900), Simpson (1914)
UnioSimpson (1900), de Gregorio (1914), Simpson (1914), Henderson (1935), Branson (1935), Yen (1952), Good (2004)
Unio (sec. Elliptio)Simpson (1900)
PleurobemaSimpson (1900), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Ortmann (1910), ... Wu et al. (2024), FMCS (2025), Freeman et al. (2025), Dai et al. (2025), Chen et al. (2025)
QuadrulaOrtmann (1909), Ortmann (1909), Vanatta (1915)
ElliptioOrtmann (1912), ITIS (2012)
FusconaiaOrtmann & Walker (1922), Russell (1934), Modell (1957), Haas (1969), Burch (1975), R.I. Johnson (1980), Parmalee & Bogan (1998)
Quadrula (Obliquata)Frierson (1927), Haas (1930), Haas (1969)
Quadrula (Fusconia [sic])Frierson (1927)
Obovaria (s.s.)Frierson (1927), Haas (1969)
Quadrula (Pleuronaia)Frierson (1927), Haas (1969)
Obovaria (Pseudoon)Frierson (1927), Haas (1969)
ObliquataModell (1957)
Dysnomia (Pilea)Modell (1957)
ObliquariaBurch (1975)
Elliptio (s.s.)Burch (1975)
“Unio”Evanoff et al. (1998)
PleuronaiaWilliams et al. (2008)
Pleurobema (Sintoxia)Campbell & Lydeard (2012), Burlakova et al. (2012), Campbell & Lydeard (2012)

 
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