Epioblasma

Specimen of the tubercled blossom pearly mussel Epioblasma torulosa torulosa, now believed extinct, photographed by Peter Maas.

Belongs within: Bivalvia.

Epioblasma is a genus of North American freshwater mussels, most of which are now severely endangered, several recently becoming extinct.

Characters (from Smith 2001): Shell usually less than 60 mm in length, posterior half sulcate or with one or two radiating ridges, sometimes with fine wrinkles or costae; sexual dimorphism strongly pronounced; mantle of female in front of inhalant aperture forming a broad thick lobe, inner edge papillate.

<==Epioblasma
    |--E. florentina [=Dysnomia florentina] USDI77
    |    |--E. f. florentina USDI77
    |    `--E. f. curtisi [=Dysnomia florentina curtisi] USDI77
    |--E. sampsoni [=Dysnomia sampsoni] USDI77
    |--E. sulcata [=Dysnomia sulcata] USDI77
    |    |--E. s. sulcata USDI77
    |    `--E. s. delicata [=Dysnomia sulcata delicata; incl. E. perobliqua] USDI77
    |--E. torulosa [=Dysnomia torulosa] USDI77
    |    |--E. t. torulosa USDI77
    |    `--E. t. gubernaculum [=Dysnomia torulosa gubernaculum] USDI77
    `--E. turgidula [=Dysnomia turgidula] USDI77

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Smith, D. G. 2001. Pennak's Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States: Porifera to Crustacea, 4th edition. John Wiley and Sones.

[USDI77] USDI (United States Department of the Interior). 1977. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants - republication of list of species. Federal Register 42: 36420-36431.