Ambleminae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...

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 ...

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 ...

. They are found throughout much of eastern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

south to

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, although fossils are also known from

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...

. Some species have also been introduced to

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

. They are the most speciose radiation of the Unionidae, with more than 300 species. Fossils of this group date back to the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', ...

Systematics

The following classification is based on MolluscaBase and the MUSSEL Project database: * Tribe Amblemini Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus ''

Amblema ''Amblema'' 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 sim ...

'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus '' Plectomerus'' Conrad, 1853 ** Genus '' Regianaia'' D. C. Campbell & Lydeard, 2012 * Tribe Lampsilini Ihering, 1901 ** Genus ''

Actinonaias ''Actinonaias'' 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 ...

'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Arotonaias'' E. von Martens, 1900 ** Genus '' Atlanticoncha'' C. H. Smith, J. M. Pfeiffer & N. A. Johnson, 2020 ** Genus '' Cambarunio'' Watters, 2018 ** Genus '' Cyprogenia'' Agassiz, 1852 ** Genus '' Cyrtonaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Delphinonaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Disconaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Dromus'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus '' Ellipsaria'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus ''

Epioblasma ''Epioblasma'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Most of the species in this genus have been lost in modern times, and the entire genus is threatened with the possibility of ex ...

'' Rafinesque, 1831 ** Genus '' Friersonia'' Ortmann, 1912 ** Genus '' Glebula'' Conrad, 1853 ** Genus '' Hamiota'' Roe & Hartfield, 2005 ** Genus ''

Lampsilis ''Lampsilis'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. There are over 100 species in the genus. Some species, notably '' Lampsilis ovata'' (pocketbook mussel) use aggressive mimicry ...

'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus '' Leaunio'' Watters, 2018 ** Genus ''

Lemiox The birdwing pearlymussel (''Lemiox rimosus'') is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This aquatic bivalve is native to Tennessee and Virginia in the United States. Its range has declined over 90%.

'' Rafinesque, 1831 ** Genus †'' Lenelliptio'' C. M. Kolesnikov, 1980 (

) ** Genus '' Ligumia'' Swainson, 1840 ** Genus '' Medionidus'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus ''

Obliquaria ''Obliquaria reflexa'', common name the threehorn wartyback or three-horn wartyback, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the ...

'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus ''

Obovaria ''Obovaria'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. There are at least six described species in ''Obovaria'' at present, all of which are found in the United States. ''Obovaria subr ...

'' Rafinesque, 1819 ** Genus '' Ortmanniana'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Pachynaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Paetulunio'' Watters, 2018 ** Genus '' Potamilus'' Rafinesque, 1818 ** Genus '' Ptychobranchus'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus ''

Sagittunio ''Sagittunio'' is a genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below ...

'' Watters, 2018 ** Genus ''

Toxolasma ''Toxolasma'' 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 s ...

'' Rafinesque, 1831 ** Genus '' Truncilla'' Rafinesque, 1819 ** Genus '' Venustaconcha'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus ''

Villosa ''Villosa'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs 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 s ...

'' Frierson, 1927 * Tribe Pleurobemini Hannibal, 1912 ** Genus ''

Elliptio ''Elliptio'' is a genus of medium- to large-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, commonly known as the unionids, freshwater mussels or naiads. In contrast with many other groups of American Unionidae, th ...

'' Rafinesque, 1819 ** Genus '' Elliptoideus'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Eurynia'' Rafinesque, 1819 ** Genus '' Fusconaia'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus '' Hemistena'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus ''

Parvaspina ''Parvaspina'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae. It contains only two critically endangered species, both endemic to river basins in a small region of the southeastern United States. Species ...

'' Perkins, N. A. Johnson & Gangloff, 2017 ** Genus '' Plethobasus'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus '' Pleurobema'' Rafinesque, 1819 ** Genus '' Pleuronaia'' Frierson, 1927 * Tribe Popenaiadini Heard & Guckert, 1970 ** Genus '' Barynaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Martensnaias'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Micronaias'' C. T. Simpson, 1900 ** Genus '' Nephritica'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Nephronaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Popenaias'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Psoronaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 ** Genus '' Psorula'' F. Haas, 1930 ** Genus '' Reticulatus'' Frierson, 1927 ** Genus '' Sphenonaias'' Crosse & P. Fischer, 1894 * Tribe Quadrulini Ihering, 1901 ** Genus ''

Cyclonaias 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 ...

'' Pilsbry, 1922 ** Genus †'' Eonaias'' W. B. Marshall, 1929 (

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

) ** Genus ''

Megalonaias ''Megalonaias'' is a genus of bivalves belonging to 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 ra ...

'' Utterback, 1915 ** Genus †'' Proparreysia'' Pilsbry, 1921 (Late Cretaceous of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

) ** Genus †'' Protamblema'' Modell, 1957 (Late Cretaceous of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

) ** Genus ''

Quadrula ''Quadrula'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae native to rivers of the American Midwest and mid-south. All have thick nacreous shells with well-developed hinge teeth, many also with external she ...

'' Rafinesque, 1820 ** Genus ''

Theliderma ''Theliderma'' 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 ...

'' Swainson, 1840 ** Genus '' Tritogonia'' Agassiz, 1852 ** Genus ''

Uniomerus ''Uniomerus'' 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 ...

'' Conrad, 1853

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q24283197 Unionidae Protostome subfamilies Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque