''Anodonta cataracta,'' now ''Pyganodon cataracta'', is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of large
freshwater mussel
Freshwater bivalves are one kind of freshwater mollusc, along with freshwater snails. They are bivalves that live in fresh water as opposed to salt water, which is the main habitat type for bivalves.
The majority of species of bivalve molluscs ...
, an
aquatic bivalve
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...
mollusc
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Unionidae
The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids.
The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most diverse ...
, the river mussels. Its common name is the eastern floater.
Subspecies
*''Pyganodon cataracta'' subsp. ''cataracta''
*''Pyganodon cataracta'' subsp. ''marginata''
Description
''Pyganodon cataracta '' can reach a size of .
Distribution and habitat
This
mussel
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...
is present in freshwater habitats along the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
coast of North America, ranging from Alabama to some parts of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It is typically found in soft-bottomed ponds, rivers and small lakes.
Taxonomy
Like many other of its relatives, the eastern floater was thought to be in the genus ''
Anodonta
''Anodonta'' is a genus of freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.
Species
Species in this genus include:
* ''Anodonta anatina'' Linné, 1758 – duck mussel
* '' Anodonta beringiana'' Middendorff, 1851 – Yukon f ...
'', but was since moved to other genera such as ''
Pyganodon
''Pyganodon'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the subfamily Unioninae of the family Unionidae, the river mussels.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Pyganodon Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894. Accessed through: World ...
'', ''
Utterbackia
''Utterbackia'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae
The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or ...
'', and more.
[https://www.molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1351487]
References
*Richard A. Tankersley
Larval Brooding by the Freshwater Unionid Mussel Anodonta Cataracta - Wake Forest University. Department of Biology, 1992
The Freshwater Mussels (Unionoida) of the WorldCatalogue of Life
cataracta
Bivalves described in 1817
{{Unionidae-stub