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Page last updated
Thu 17 July 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!

Afrotropics

Afrotropical SubregionsThe Afrotropical Region is composed of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as the Nile Basin and Madagascar. The rest of northern Africa is considered to be part of North Eurasia. A total of 81 species (16 genera) are known from the Afrotropical Region, in three families: Unionidae, Iridinidae and Etheriidae.

Afrotropics are divided into six subregions based on the distributions of the freshwater mussels. The Nile-Great Lakes Subregion (AF1; 7 gen., 26 spp., 16 endemic) extends from the Delta on the Mediterranean to the giant lakes Victoria, Albert and Edward. The Western Subregion (AF2; 7 gen., 18 spp., 8 endemic) includes the Niger, Chad-Chari, Senegal and other basins, and it has a mussel fauna that is quite similar to that of the Nile. The Congo Subregion (AF3; 13 gen., 36 spp., 29 endemic) includes not only the Congo Drainage but the watersheds south of the Niger and Chari basins. The freshwater mussel diversity of the Southern Subregion (AF4; 7 gen., 16 spp., 11 endemic) is highest in the Zambezi and decreases further south. The Eastern Subregion (AF5; 4 gen., 6 spp., 1 endemic) is composed of the coastal streams of eastern Africa and is relatively depauperate.

The Afrotropics also includes the Madagascar Subregion (AF6; 2 gen., 2 spp., 1 endemic) Historically, a few more species had been recognized from the Mascarene Islands, but those records have been shown to be dubius as best.

These tallies are based upon some of our own revisionary work. More information can be found on other web pages on this site. The freshwater mussels of Madagascar page reviews the available data on this poorly understood assemblage.

Endemic species are marked with an asterisk (*).

Nile-Great Lakes (AF1)
  1. Aspatharia chaiziana
  2. Aspatharia divaricata*
  3. Aspatharia marnoi
  4. Chambardia bourguignati
  5. Chambardia letourneuxi*
  6. Chambardia rubens
  7. Chambardia trapezia*
  8. Chambardia wahlbergi
  9. Coelatura aegyptiaca
  10. Coelatura alluaudi*
  11. Coelatura bakeri*
  12. Coelatura cridlandi*
  13. Coelatura hauttecoeuri*
  1. Coelatura rothschildi*
  2. Coelatura stuhlmanni*
  3. Etheria elliptica
  4. Mutela alluaudi*
  5. Mutela bourguignati*
  6. Mutela dubia
  7. Mutela rostrata
  8. Nitia acuminata*
  9. Nitia chefneuxi*
  10. Nitia monceti*
  11. Nitia teretiuscula
  12. Unio abyssinicus*
  13. Unio dembeae*
Western (AF2)
  1. Aspatharia chaiziana
  2. Aspatharia dahomeyensis*
  3. Aspatharia droueti*
  4. Aspatharia pangallensis*
  5. Aspatharia rochebrunei*
  6. Chambardia rubens
  7. Chambardia wahlbergi
  8. Chambardia wissmanni
  9. Coelatura aegyptiaca
  1. Coelatura essoensis*
  2. Etheria elliptica
  3. Mutela dubia
  4. Mutela franci*
  5. Mutela joubini
  6. Mutela rostrata
  7. Nitia mutelaeformis*
  8. Nitia teretiuscula
  9. Pleiodon ovatus*
Congo (AF3)
  1. Aspatharia ganciniensis*
  2. Aspatharia pfeifferiana*
  3. Aspatharia rugifera
  4. Brazzaea anceyi*
  5. Chambardia flava*
  6. Chambardia nyassaensis
  7. Chambardia wissmanni
  8. Chelidonopsis hirundo*
  9. Coelatura briarti*
  10. Coelatura choziensis*
  11. Coelatura disciformis*
  12. Coelatura gabonensis*
  13. Coelatura horei*
  14. Coelatura kipopoensis*
  15. Coelatura leopoldvillensis*
  16. Coelatura lobensis*
  17. Coelatura luapulaensis*
  18. Coelatura mesafricana*
  1. Coelatura stagnorum*
  2. Coelatura stanleyvillensis*
  3. Etheria elliptica
  4. Grandidieria burtoni*
  5. Moncetia anceyi*
  6. Mutela dubia
  7. Mutela hargeri*
  8. Mutela joubini
  9. Mutela langi*
  10. Mutela legumen*
  11. Mutela mabilli*
  12. Mutela rostrata
  13. Mutela soleniformis*
  14. Nyassunio ujijiensis*
  15. Pleiodon spekii*
  16. Prisodontopsis aviculaeformis*
  17. Prisodontopsis mweruensis*
  18. Pseudospatha tanganyicensis*
Southern (AF4)
  1. Aspatharia rugifera
  2. Aspatharia subreniformis*
  3. Chambardia moutai*
  4. Chambardia nyassaensis
  5. Chambardia petersi*
  6. Chambardia wahlbergi
  7. Chambardia welwitschii*
  8. Coelatura hypsiprymna*
  1. Coelatura kunenensis*
  2. Coelatura mossambicensis
  3. Etheria elliptica
  4. Mutela alata*
  5. Mutela wistarmorrisi*
  6. Mutela zambesiensis*
  7. Nyassunio nyassaensis*
  8. Unio caffer*
Eastern (AF5)
  1. Aspatharia marnoi
  2. Chambardia bourguignati
  3. Chambardia wahlbergi
  1. Coelatura mossambicensis
  2. Coelatura ratidota*
  3. Etheria elliptica
Madagascar (AF6)
  1. Etheria elliptica
  1. Germainaia geayi*
 
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