''Sphaerium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of very small freshwater clams, 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 ...

s 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 ...

Sphaeriidae Sphaeriidae is a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs in the order Sphaeriida. In the US, they are commonly known as pea clams or fingernail clams. Heard, William H. 1977. Reproduction of fingernail clams (Sphaeriidae: ''Sphaeri ...

, known as the fingernail clams. The small clams in this genus are unusual in that many of them, such as ''

Sphaerium corneum ''Sphaerium corneum'', also known as the European fingernailclam, is a very small freshwater clam, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Sphaeriidae, the fingernail clams. Description The shell is fairly globular and can grow up to 9–13.5& ...

'', can climb around underwater on aquatic plants, using their long and strong foot.

Species

* Subgenus ''Sphaerium''

Scopoli Giovanni Antonio Scopoli (sometimes Latinized as Johannes Antonius Scopolius) (3 June 1723 – 8 May 1788) was an Italian physician and naturalist. His biographer Otto Guglia named him the "first anational European" and the "Linnaeus of the Au ...

, 1777 :*''

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

) – European fingernail clam * Subgenus ''Nucleocyclas'' Alimov & Starobogatov, 1968 :* ''

Sphaerium nucleus ''Sphaerium nucleus'' is a freshwater bivalve of the family Sphaeriidae. It has been often confused with ''Sphaerium corneum'' and is consequently quite poorly known. Description ''Sphaerium nucleus'' is a very small bivalve which may grow up to ...

'' (Studer, 1820) :* '' Sphaerium ovale'' ( A. Férussac, 1807) * Subgenus ''Parasphaerium'' Alimov & Starobogatov, 1968 :*'' Sphaerium nitidum'' Clessin, 1876 – Arctic fingernail clam * Subgenus ''Amesoda''

Rafinesque Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; October 22, 1783September 18, 1840) was a French 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ultimat ...

, 1820 :* '' Sphaerium rivicola'' (

Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...

, 1818) * Subgenus ''Cyrenastrum'' Bourguignat, 1854 :* ''

Sphaerium solidum ''Sphaerium solidum'', the solid orb mussel, is a species of freshwater bivalve from family Sphaeriidae. Distribution and conservation status * Not listed in IUCN Red List – not evaluated (NE) * Germany – critically endangered (''vom Ausst ...

'' (Normand, 1844) * Without subgenus :*''

Sphaerium asiaticum ''Sphaerium asiaticum'' is a species of bivalve belonging to the family Sphaeriidae. Per IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an ...

'' (Martens, 1864) :* '' Sphaerium bequaerti'' (Dautzenberg & Germain, 1914) – data deficient (DD) :* ''

Sphaerium cornuta ''Sphaerium'' is a genus of very small freshwater clams, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the family Sphaeriidae, known as the fingernail clams. The small clams in this genus are unusual in that many of them, such as ''Sphaerium corneum'', can climb ...

'' :* ''

Sphaerium novaezelandiae ''Sphaerium novaezelandiae'' is a very small freshwater clam, an aquatic bivalve mollusc, in the family Sphaeriidae, sometimes known as the fingernail clams. Its native to New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country i ...

'' Deshayes, 1854 :* ''

Sphaerium rhomboideum ''Sphaerium rhomboideum'', the rhomboid fingernailclam, is a species of freshwater clams in the family Sphaeriidae Sphaeriidae is a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs in the order Sphaeriida. In the US, they are commonly kn ...

'' (Say, 1822) :* ''

Sphaerium stuhlmanni ''Sphaerium stuhlmanni'' is a species of freshwater bivalve in the family Sphaeriidae. It is endemic to Lake Victoria in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of ...

'' Martens, 1897 – least concern (LC) * Extinct :* ''

Sphaerium beckmani ''Sphaerium beckmani'' is an extinct species of fossil freshwater pea clams from the Late Cretaceous deposits of North America. This species was first described by the American paleontologist Loris Shano Russell in 1976. The specimens were colle ...

Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory *Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...

, 1976 :* ''

Sphaerium florissantense ''Sphaerium'' is a genus of very small freshwater clams, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the family Sphaeriidae, known as the fingernail clams. The small clams in this genus are unusual in that many of them, such as ''Sphaerium corneum'', can climb ...

'' Cockerell, 1906

References

External links

''Sphaerium'' Scopoli, 1777 on Biolib

Pelecypoda (Clams) on Aquatic Invertebrates of Alberta
* Taxa named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli Bivalve genera {{Sphaeriidae-stub