''Potamilus inflatus'', the inflated heelsplitter, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve

mollusk 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 e ...

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 simply as unionids. The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most divers ...

, the river mussels. This species was called by the common name ''Alabama heelsplitter'' in the standard reference, Turgeon, 1998. Because another species '' Lasmigona alabamensis'' was also given that same name in that publication, this duplication of name caused some confusion. Therefore, the common name of this species was subsequently changed to "inflated heelsplitter". This species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is an endangered species.

References

Fauna of the United States inflatus Bivalves described in 1831 ESA threatened species Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Unionidae-stub