Elliptio errans

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Habitat

Typically found in a lake at a mean distance from sea level of 888 meters (2,914 feet).[1]

Biome: Freshwater [2].

Ecology: This species is known to occur in small and medium sized creeks and rivers , within flowing water (A. Bogan pers. comm. 2010).[2].

List of Habitats :

•     5     Wetlands (inland)   
  
•     5.1     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls )   
[more info]

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

The classification of the Atlantic Slope species of Elliptio is currently in a state of uncertainty. Johnson (1970) lumped many named taxa under a single name. Current research is finding many of these synonomized taxa to be valid species. This research is in progress and will result in the recognition of numerous additional taxa in this genus. Elliptio errans was synonymized under Elliptio complanata by Johnson (1970, 1972) and Britton and Fuller (1979). Based on genetic data , Davis and Mulvey (1993) recognized E. errans as a species distinct from Elliptio icterina, a taxonomic status consistent with Turgeon et al. (1998).

A list of synonyms for this species can be found on The MUSSEL project web site (Graf and Cummings 2011). [2].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Elliptio

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 44 species and subspecies in this genus:

E. ahenea (Southern Lance) · E. angustata (Carolina Lance) · E. arca (Alabama Spike) · E. arctata (Delicate Spike) · E. buckleyi (Florida Shiny Spike) · E. chipolaensis (Chipola Slabshell) · E. cistellaeformis (Box Spike) · E. complanata (Eastern Elliptio) · E. complanata complanata (Eastern Elliptio) · E. congaraea (Carolina Slabshell) · E. crassidens (Elephantear Mussel) · E. crassidens crassidens (Elephant Ear) · E. cylindracea (Sad Elliptio) · E. dariensis (Georgia Elephant-Ear) · E. dilatata (Spike) · E. downiei (Satilla Elephant-Ear) · E. errans (Oval Elliptio) · E. fisheriana (Northern Lance) · E. folliculata (Pod Lance) · E. fraterna (Brother Spike) · E. fraternum (Brother Spike) · E. hepatica (Brown Elliptio) · E. hopetonensis (Altamaha Slabshell) · E. icterina (Variable Spike) · E. jayensis (Flat Spike) · E. judithae (Plicate Spike) · E. judithae judithae (Plicate Spike) · E. lanceolata (Yellow Lance) · E. lugubris (Sad Elliptio) · E. macmichaeli (Fluted Elephant-Ear) · E. marsupiobesa (Cape Fear Spike) · E. mcmichaeli (Fluted Elephantear) · E. monroensis (St Johns Elephantear) · E. nigella (Recovery Pearly Mussel) · E. producta (Atlantic Spike) · E. purpurella (Inflated Spike) · E. pusillus (Kalimantan Ilisha) · E. raveneli (Carolina Spike) · E. roanokensis (Roanoke Slabshell) · E. shepardiana (Altamaha Lance) · E. spinosa (Altamaha Spinymussel) · E. steinstansana (Tar River Spinymussel) · E. waccamawensis (Waccamaw Spike) · E. waltoni (Florida Lance)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Bogan, A.E. and Alderman, J.M. 2004. Workbook and key to the freshwater bivalves of South Carolina. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC.
• Britton, J.C. and Fuller, S.L.H. 1979. The Freshwater Bivalve Mollusca (Unionidae, Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae) of the Savannah River Plant, South Carolina. SRO-NERP-3. Savannah River Plant, National Environmental.
• Davis, G.M. and Mulvey, M. 1993. Species status of Mill Creek Elliptio: Savannah River SIte. In: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (ed.). National Environmental Research Park Program.
• Graf, D.L. and Cummings, K.S. 2011. The MUSSEL Project Database: MUSSELp. Available at: www.mussel-project.net. (Accessed: 18/08/2011).
• IUCN. 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2011.2). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 November 2011).
• Johnson, R.I. 1970. The systematics and zoogeography of the Unionidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) of the southern Atlantic slope region. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 140(6): 263-449.
• Johnson, R.I. 1972. The Unionidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) of peninsular Florida. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 16(4): 181-249.
• Turgeon, D.D., Quinn, Jr. J.F., Bogan, A.E., Coan, E.V., Hochberg, F.G., Lyons, W.G., Mikkelsen P.M., Neves, R.J., Roper, C.F.E., Rosenberg, G., Roth, B., Scheltema, A., Thompson, F.G., Vecchione, M. and Williams, J.D. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Mollusks.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 31, 2012.
• Cummings, K. & Cordeiro, J. 2011. Elliptio errans. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 31January2012.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 02, 2008:

• Academy of Natural Sciences, Academy of Natural Sciences Malacology Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2692504
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-567525
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13742686
• IUCN ID: 207158
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 705325

Footnotes

1. Standard Deviation = 1,947.370 based on 25 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
2. Cummings, K. & Cordeiro, J. 2011. Elliptio errans. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 31 January 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.