Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna
The article concerns recent representatives of the North American freshwater bivalve mollusks from the three families: Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae. Since only the first family contains aborigine North American species, the paper is focused on this group. The Corbiculidae are represent...
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| citation_txt | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna/ A.V. Korniushin // Вестник зоологии. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 1. — С. 13–22. — Бібліогр.: 31 назв. — англ. |
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| description | The article concerns recent representatives of the North American freshwater bivalve mollusks from the three families: Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae. Since only the first family contains aborigine North American species, the paper is focused on this group. The Corbiculidae are represented by a single species (Corbicula fluminea) and Dreissenidae by two species (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) introduced from Europe and Asia.
Статья представляет собой обзор современных пресноводных двустворчатых моллюсков Северной Америки из семейств Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae и Dreissenidae. Особое внимание уделяется сфериидам, так как к этому семейству относятся автохтонные североамериканские виды. Два других семейства представлены вселенцами из Европы и Азии — одним видом корбикулид (Corbicula fluminea) и двумя видами дрейссенид (Dreissena polymorpha и D. bugensis), и для них приведены только краткие характеристики.
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UDC 594.1(7)
NON-UNIONID FRESHWATER BIVALVES (SPHAERIIDAE,
CORBICULIDAE, DREISSENIDAE)
OF NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA
A. V. Korniushin
Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine,
Bogdan Chmielnicky str., 15, Kyiv, 01601 Ukraine
Zoological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Accepted 25 October 2006
Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna.
Korniushin A. V. — The article concerns recent representatives of the North American freshwater
bivalve mollusks from the three families: Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae. Since only the
first family contains aborigine North American species, the paper is focused on this group. The
Corbiculidae are represented by a single species (Corbicula fluminea) and Dreissenidae by two species
(Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) introduced from Europe and Asia.
Ke y wo r d s: Mollusca, Bivalvia, Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae, North America.
Ïðåñíîâîäíûå äâóñòâîð÷àòûå ìîëëþñêè (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) ôàóíû Ñåâåðíîé
Àìåðèêè. Êîðíþøèí À. Â. — Ñòàòüÿ ïðåäñòàâëÿåò ñîáîé îáçîð ñîâðåìåííûõ ïðåñíîâîäíûõ
äâóñòâîð÷àòûõ ìîëëþñêîâ Ñåâåðíîé Àìåðèêè èç ñåìåéñòâ Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae è
Dreissenidae. Îñîáîå âíèìàíèå óäåëÿåòñÿ ñôåðèèäàì, òàê êàê ê ýòîìó ñåìåéñòâó îòíîñÿòñÿ
àâòîõòîííûå ñåâåðîàìåðèêàíñêèå âèäû. Äâà äðóãèõ ñåìåéñòâà ïðåäñòàâëåíû âñåëåíöàìè èç
Åâðîïû è Àçèè — îäíèì âèäîì êîðáèêóëèä (Corbicula fluminea) è äâóìÿ âèäàìè äðåéññåíèä
(Dreissena polymorpha è D. bugensis), è äëÿ íèõ ïðèâåäåíû òîëüêî êðàòêèå õàðàêòåðèñòèêè.
Êëþ÷åâûå ñ ëîâ à: äâóñòâîð÷àòûå ìîëëþñêè, Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae, Ñåâåðíàÿ
Àìåðèêà.
Introduction
The manuscript, which was found in the Dr. Alexei V. Korniushin’s archive, provides the basis for this
article. The manuscript appears to be the chapter of monograph on the North-American fauna. Unfortunately
it is unknown for us do this materials were published. For this reason, we believed that the publication of the
manuscript in the form of review article is worthwhile. Also the list of North American sphaeriids found at
the separate pages from Korniushin’s archive was in use and species that were absent in the manuscript are
depicted in the article.
The systematic positions and name combinations of mollusks are retained as well as in the author’s text.
In the cases that Alexei Korniushin used any other name combinations in his publications or manuscripts we
cited them in footnote comments, wherever possible. The manuscript of the article was prepared for
publication by Dr. I. V. Dovgal. We also thank Mikhail Son (Odessa Branch of the Institute of Biology of
the South Seas) for useful information on the mollusk nomenclature.
Means of collection and preparation
Only the largest species of clams can be collected by hand. Smaller specimens
should be washed out of the sediment with a sieve. Sediments can be taken by a shov-
el (in shallow water), a dipnet or a drag dredge (in deeper water). A kitchen sieve can
be used for washing, but better results are achieved when the sieve has flat bottom. As
follows from the above description of habitats, the places where some mud and debris
are accumulated should be searched most carefully. Dead leaves, submerged moss or
weeds (inch roots) should be also collected and washed in a sieve.
Vestnik zoologii, 41(1): 13–22, 2007
© A. V. Korniushin, 2007
Ôàóíà è ñèñòåìàòèêà
Small forceps with tapered soft tips are necessary to pick up specimens (which may
be very small and fragile) from the sieve. Animals can be taken to the lab for the fur-
ther preparation in tubes or jars containing water, wet cottonwool, grass or moss (the
latter is recommended for the very fragile shells of Musculium Link, 1807 and some
Sphaerium Scopoli, 1777, which may be damaged by shaking in water). When conve-
nient, the whole amount of silt leaves or vegetation can be put in a plastic bag and
brought to the lab for washing or sorting.
Dry shells for conchological collections can be kept in boxes; small specimens
should be additionally packed in small glass tubes or gelatin capsules. Do not put them
directly on cotton wool, as it may be hard to remove them from the cotton fibers. Spe-
cimens for anatomical study should be preserved in 70 to 80% ethanol. Neutralized for-
malin can be also used, but it is not recommended, since it can make the tissues too rigid.
The fixative does not penetrate between tightly joined valves; therefore, the animals
should be relaxed before fixation. Common narcotizing agents (menthol or barbiturates)
can be used, but are not very effective for sphaeriids (exact concentration and time of
relaxation should be determined experimentally for each species). Good result gives sub-
merging of animals for several minutes in hot (but not boiling!) water (such material may
be good for anatomical preparation, but not available for DNA analysis). If, however, the
valves remain closed, one of them should be broken in order to let the fixative in. Special
techniques of fixation should be used for histology, electron microscopy etc. When mate-
rial for DNA sequencing is needed, a stronger alcohol (at least 80%) should be used, and
the shells should be necessarily broken in order to ensure fast fixation.
Since internal shell characters (hinge, sometimes muscle scars) are necessary for
species identification, it is necessary to open valves. If dried remnants of the soft body
hinder opening, the specimen should be carefully heated in a 5% solution of alkali
(KOH or NaOH), which dissolves the tissues and facilitate opening. If alkali solution
is unavailable, heating in water may also be tried.
In order to expose the soft body for anatomical study, adductor muscles and man-
tle edge should be carefully detached from the shell with a needle or thin scalpel. Most
of the organs are well seen laterally, but the form of nephridium may be clearer when
looking from the dorsal side1.
Details of gill structure are seen much better if the mantle sheets are removed. On
the other hand, length of the presiphonal suture and arrangement of mantle muscles are
better seen from the inner side of the mantle, therefore it is necessary to separate the
mantle from the body. Separation of gills is recommended to expose brood pouches
formed on their inner surface. Since the smallest pouches may be covered by the inner
(ascending) gill lamella, the latter should be removed, if the exact number of brood
pouches, their stage of development and number of embryos are to be determined (for
example, for life history studies).
Some standard histological procedures of staining and mounting specimens were sug-
gested for microscopic investigation of mantle and gills (Korniushin, 1995). While the lit-
erature on sphaeriid chromosomes is scarce and contains no detailed description of meth-
ods, some approaches developed for chromosomes of Corbicula Megerle von Muhlfeldt,
1811 can be recommended. Recently, the group was involved in molecular studies (Park,
Foighil, 2000), and the methods of such study can be obtained from the special literature.
Living specimens of sphaeriids can be safely kept in a refrigerator for several weeks
or even months. It is best to place them in wet cotton wool or moss rather than in
water. Most of the species can live in aquarium without any special demands (person-
al observations). However, this may be problematic for species preferring lotic environ-
ments (e. g. Sphaerium rivicola (Lamarck, 1818)2 or S. striatinum (Lamarck, 1818)3.
14 A. V. Korniushin
1 See figures in A. V. Korniushin’s monograph (1996).
2 Rivicoliana rivicola in Korniushin, 1996.
3 Amesoda striatina in A. Korniushin’s list of North American species.
Discussion
The recent North American fauna of Non-Unionid freshwater Bivalves includes
three families: Sphaeriidae Jeffreys, 1862, Corbiculidae Gray, 1847 and Dreissenidae
Gray, 1840. Since only the first family is native, this paper is focused on this group.
The other two families are represented by a few species introduced from Europe and
Asia and are only described briefly.
Family Sphaeriidae — Fingernail, Pea or Pill Clams
Spe c i e s d i v e r s i t y a nd d i s t r i b u t i o n. The Sphaeriidae are distributed all
over the world. This family includes at least 150–200 valid species. However, the fauna
of some regions are still poorly known and the systematics is not well established.
Therefore, it is hard to evaluate the number of species more precisely. According to the
latest reviews (Herrington, 1962; Burch, 1975), the North American fauna comprises
38 Sphaeriidae species. The European fauna is almost as rich and includes 25 to 30 spe-
cies, though the status of some forms is in dispute. Some Russian reviewers recognized
many more species (Korniushin, 1996), but this splitting approach is not accepted by
West European specialists. Thirteen species are common for both continents, four spe-
cies, Sphaerium corneum (L., 1758), Pisidium amnicum (Mu�ller, 1774), P. henslowanum
(Sheppard, 1823)4, P. supinum A. Schmidt, 18505, and P. moitessierianum (Paladilhe,
1866)6 are considered to be introduced from Europe to North America (Burch, 1975;
Grigorovich et al., 2000), and one species, Musculium transversum (Say, 1829)7 was
apparently introduced from North America to Europe (Ellis, 1978). Some European
species in North America might be overlooked, being described as local species or
forms. Holarctic fauna of sphaeriids should be considered as rich. The fauna of the
Ethiopian region, which is relatively well studied (Mandahl-Barth, 1988), comprises
29 species, other regions has poorer faunas.
Most of the North American sphaeriid species have transcontinental distribution,
but some are more restricted (Burch, 1975). Three species, Sphaerium nitidum Clessin,
1876, Pisidium idahoense Roper, 18908 and P. conventus Clessin, 18779 are distributed
only in the northern part of the continent, possibly with isolated populations in the
mountains in more southern locations. Sphaerium fabale Prime, 185110 and S. patella
Gould, 185011 form a pair of morphologically similar but geographically separated
species, the first being restricted to the eastern part of the continent, and the second to
the western part. In the Eastern Hemisphere, similar separation characterizes the
European S. solidum (Normand, 1854)12 and the Siberian S. asiaticum Martens, 188413.
The Central American species Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) and Pisidium punctiferum
(Guppy, 1867) are present in the southern states of the USA. One species, P. ultramon-
15Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves…
4 Henslowiana henslowanum in Korniushin, 1996.
5 Henslowiana supina in Korniushin, 1996.
6 Neopisidium moitessierianum in Korniushin, 1996.
7 Paramusculium transversum in Korniushin, 1996.
8 Lacustrina idahoensis in Korniushin’s list.
9 Conventus conventus in Korniushin, 1996.
10 Amesoda fabalis in Korniushin’s list.
11 Amesoda patella in Korniushin’s list.
12 Amesoda (Cyrenastrum) solida in Korniushin, 1996.
13 Amesoda (Asiocyclas) asiatica in Korniushin, 1996.
tanum Prime, 186514 is restricted to several localities in Oregon and northern California.
Other species with limited distribution are known from the ancient lakes: Ochrid in the
Balkans, Baikal in Siberia, Biwa in Japan, Tanganyika in Africa and Titicaca in South
America. The highest species diversity of sphaeriids in North America is observed in the
Great Lakes region (Burch, 1975).
C l a s s i f i c a t i o n. According to Burch (1975), the family is divided in three sub-
families: Euperinae Heard, 1965 with the genera Eupera Bourguignat, 1854 and
Byssanodonta d’Orbigny, 1846, Sphaeriinae Jeffreys, 1862 with the genera Sphaerium and
Musculium and Pisidiinae Baker, 1927 with a single genus Pisidium. The Eupera are
restricted to the tropical regions of Africa and America, with the greatest diversity in
South America. Byssanodonta is a monotypical South American genus; while the remain-
ing genera are cosmopolitan and their range coincide with the range of the family. The
generic classification is hardly final, since heterogeneity of anatomical characters was
found in all the named genera, and a phylogenetic analysis, which is necessary to con-
struct the natural system of the group, has still not been carried out. It is also possible
that at least Euperinae, with their very peculiar morphology and mode of reproduction,
deserve the status of a separate family. Subgeneric classification is even more uncertain,
since none of the suggested classifications take into account all the global fauna. Burch
(1975) divides the North American Sphaerium species between two subgenera —
Sphaerium s. str. and Herringtonium Clarke, 1973, and Pisidium between three subgen-
era — Pisidium s. str., Cyclocalyx Dall, 1903 and Neopisidium Odhner, 1921.
Morpho l o g i c a l a nd b i o l o g i c a l p e c u l i a r i t i e s. The species of this fam-
ily are the smallest among freshwater bivalves and, probably, among bivalves in gener-
al. Some sizes of the adult animals (Pisidium moitessierianum (Paladilhe, 1866) for
example) do not exceed 2.5 mm, though most of the species are somewhat larger, from
3 to about 15 mm long. The largest North American species, Sphaerium simile (Say,
1816)15, may reach 20 mm. The European species, Sphaerium rivicola (Lamarck,
1818)16 is even bigger, it can range up to 25 mm long.
The sphaeriid shell is usually round or oval, but in some species may be trigonal or
tetragonal (trapezoid). The position of the umbo may be anterior (Eupera), central
(Sphaerium and Musculium) or posterior (Pisidium). The outer surfaces often bear con-
centric sculpture: ribs (larger elements with interval about 0.5 mm) or striae (fine sculp-
ture with interval 0.025–0.1 mm). Tiny pores (3–5 mm in diameter) are usually notice-
able on the internal surface. The scars of the two adductors are well marked, while the
smaller scars of siphonal retractors are sometimes noticeable, lying near those of poste-
rior adductors or being attached to them. The mantle line is usually weakly marked, and
never forms a sinus; the scars of mantle muscle bundles may be visible above this line.
The sphaeriid hinge is typically heretorodont and consists of cardinal, anterior and
posterior lateral teeth (Cox et al., 1969). The left valve bears two cardinal teeth and
two lateral teeth, one anterior and one posterior; the right valve has one cardinal and
two lateral teeth. The lateral teeth are markedly reduced in the Australian taxon
M. lacustre, and all hinge teeth are reduced in the Byssanodonta.
The ligament is visible and external in some species (e. g. Sphaerium simile,
M. transversum (Say, 1829). In a majority of the taxa, it is covered dorsally by a thin
layer of calcified material and thus not visible. In species of the subgenus Pisidium
(Odhneripisidium Kuiper, 1962), the ligament is introverted, e. g. deeply submerged
between valves.
16 A. V. Korniushin
14 Euglesa ultramontane in Korniushin’s list.
15 Cyclas similis in Korniushin, 1996 and Amesoda similes in Korniushin’s list.
16 Rivicoliana rivicola in Korniushin, 1996.
The soft body structure is characterized by some peculiar features that may be asso-
ciated with the small size of these mollusks. The mantle usually forms two ventral
fusions dividing the exhalant (anal), inhalant (branchial) and pedal openings. Species
of Eupera, Byssanodonta, Sphaerium and Musculium have tubular exhalant and inhalant
siphons, separate (in the first two genera), or partially joined to each other. The genus
Pisidium is characterized by the broad (funnel-like) exhalant siphon and the absence of
the inhalant siphon. Branchial opening may be retained (e. g. P. amnicum, P. caser-
tanum (Poli, 1791)17 or absent (e. g. P. moitessierianum, P. conventus). The pedal open-
ing is usually a long slit, but in some species (Eupera spp., P. subtruncatum Malm,
185318, P. milium Favre, 192719) it is shortened because of progressive development of
the presiphonal suture (mantle fusion dividing inhalant opening from the pedal slit). In
contrast to corbiculid or venerid bivalves in which the siphons are contracted by two
broad muscle bands, the siphonal muscles of sphaeriids form several pairs of retractors,
hence the absence of the pallial sinus.
The foot is usually well developed and extendable (capable for a great extention).
It is a borrowing organ in the majority of species. In contrast, the especially long,
motile, worm-like foot of Sphaerium corneum gives this animal ability to creep on the
water plants. A functional byssus gland is found in the larvae of some species (Mackie
et al., 1974), however, adult animals retain a byssus only in the Eupera and Byssano-
donta. The latter peculiarity is apparently associated with their mode of life (see below).
The gills are characterized by a certain reduction of the outer demibranch (outer
demibranch is always lower than inner one). The most profound reduction is a charac-
teristic of Pisidium: in all species, except P. idahoense, the outer demibranch has only
one lamella and does not overlap the inner one, and in many species (those lacking
inhalant mantle opening) it disappears completely. As in the majority of filter-feeding
bivalves, gills of sphaeriids have two basic functions: respiration and collecting food.
The reduction of the size of gills definitely leads to the diminution of their respiratory
and food-collecting surface, and is, therefore, correlated with the size of the animal.
The configuration of the nephridium is a taxonomic character. The excretory
organs of sphaeriids (nephridia) are progressively developed, in contrast to the typical
voluminous bivalve nephridium. The excretory organ in this group is a long specifical-
ly packed tube. Progressive development of the nephridium can be seen as an adapta-
tion to the freshwater environment which is hypoosmotic and needs intensification of
the osmoregulatory function usually carried out by excretory organs.
All sphaeriids are hermaphrodites. The gonads are relatively big, extended to the
dorsal side of the animal in Eupera and Byssanodonta, and small, placed behind the foot
in the other genera. Some sphaeriid species are distinguished by remarkably high chro-
mosome numbers (Burch, Huber, 1966; Burch et al., 1998) which in all probability
resulted from polyploidy. The only diploid species known is Sphaerium corneum with
2n = 36. However, the family is still poorly studied in this respect.
The most remarkable feature of sphaeriids is the incubation of their young in the
gills of the parent animal. Eupera and Byssanodonta produce large eggs rich in yolk,
which develop between the lamellae of the inner demibranch. In the other genera, spe-
cialized organs for breeding, brood pouches or marsupia, are produced by inner demi-
branch filaments. In Sphaerium and Musculium, several pouches develop in each gill
simultaneously and release their young successively, while in Pisidium formation of a
new pouch is possible only after release of the previous brood.
Sphaeriids usually have one or two breeding seasons per year. Those from habitats
with stable temperature, such as deep-water lake populations or tropical species, may
17Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves…
17 Euglesa (Euglesa) casertana in Korniushin, 1996.
18 Pseudeupera subtruncata in Korniushin, 1996 and Euglesa subtruncata in Korniushin’s list.
19 Tetragonocyclas milium in Korniushin, 1996.
reproduce year round. Details for particular species are provided by W. H. Heard (1965,
1977), C. Meier-Brook (1970) and I. J. Holopainen and I. Hanski (1986). Incubation
of larvae in brood pouches may last from one month (in smallest pisidia) up to sever-
al months. After release from pouches, the young continue their growth lying freely in
the gill (extra-marsupial larvae), and then leave the parent through its siphons.
Compared to bivalves with veliger larvae, sphaeriids are characterized by low fecundi-
ty. The number of offspring released by one parent in one breeding season does not
exceed several dozens. Eupera and Musculium species, as well as Pisidium amnicum, are
characterized by the highest fecundity (sometimes more than 50 young per gravid
adult), most Sphaerium and Pisidium species release up to 20 young, and P. conventus
may incubate simultaneously only 2 to 3 larvae.
It is notable, that newly released Sphaerium already have mature gonads (the young
begin to produce their own eggs and sperm even at the end of the incubation period)
and soon form the first brood pouches (Heard, 1977). This peculiarity was not found
in Musculium and Pisidium. On the other hand, Musculium species are characterized by
relatively rapid growth and reach their final size in 60–70 days, while Sphaerium need
4 to 8 months to mature, and Pisidium about a year. The life span of Musculium species
is about a year; in Sphaerium and Pisidium it is up to 5 years. Populations and species
from northern countries are characterized (on the average) by slower growth and a
longer life span (Holopainen, Hanski, 1986).
Most of the sphaeriids are borrowing. The larger species (Sphaerium, Musculium,
Pisidium amnicum) only partly submerge in sediments, with their siphons stretching into
the water. They are typical filter-feeders and consume mainly phytoplankton (Lopez,
Holopainen, 1987). Most of these species are apparently not very mobile, except
Sphaerium corneum, which often occurs openly, on submerged vegetation (personal
observations) and can move almost as fast as snails move. Small Pisidium species are
typically completely submerged in bottom sediments, dwelling in long blind burrows,
and their feeding mode is defined as interstitial suspension-feeding (Lopez,
Holopainen, 1987). Interstitial bacteria probably form the main part of their diet. Some
species of sphaeriids may occur among submerged leaves (Musculium lacustre Mu�ller,
1774, Pisidium casertanum) or mosses (P. obtusale (Lamarck, 1818), P. milium). North
American Eupera combine burrowed (infaunal) and attached (epifaunal) modes of life,
while some South American Eupera and the only species of Byssanodonta are strictly
epifaunal and attach by a byssus to rocks, stones or other hard substrata (Ch. Ituarte,
personal communication).
Hab i t a t s. Sphaeriid clams occur in a great variety of habitats: from large rivers
and lakes to springs, peatbogs and temporary pools. The highest species diversity is
characteristic of lakes, ponds and small rivers. Springs are usually colonized by one
species — Pisidium casertanum (in Europe P. personatum Malm, 185520 may be also
found) which is usually quite abundant. Some species show clear preference to partic-
ular habitats (e. g. P. idahoense, P. lilljeborgi Clessin, 188621 and P. conventus — to
lakes, P. supinum — to rivers), while others may live in different types of habitats. The
latter species seem to be less sensitive to variations in oxygen and calcium content in
the water. However, they apparently cannot live in anaerobic conditions and therefore
avoid pools with deep layer of liquid ooze or decaying debris. Some species,
e. g. Sphaerium occidentale Prime, 185322, M. lacustre and P. casertanum can survive
temporary drying up in thin layer of water or even in wet soil or leaves. As a rule,
sphaeriids does not tolerate salinity higher than 0.03% Cl, and only a few species can
withstand higher salinity: P. casertanum, P. henslowanum, P. nitidum Jenyns, 183223 and
18 A. V. Korniushin
20 Euglesa (Euglesa) personata in Korniushin, 1996.
21 Henslowiana liljeborgi in Korniushin, 1996 and Euglesa liljeborgi in Korniushin’s list.
22 Horringtonium occidentale in Korniushin’s list.
23 Cingulipisidium nitidum in Korniushin, 1996 and Euglesa nitida in Korniushin’s list.
P. subtruncatum Malm, 1855 are the most tolerant in Europe and may live in the low-
est courses of rivers (Kuiper, Wolf, 1970).
Being burrowers, most sphaeriids avoid coarse sediments (rocks and gravel), as well
as hard sand, preferring tine sand, muddy sand and mud. Some amount of detritus seems
to be necessary for them, probably because of their feeding on saprotrophic bacteria
(Lopez, Holopainen, 1987). Therefore, they are usually rare in the main stream of rivers
or along the beaches exposed to waves and numerous in more quiet places, where some
mud or debris can be accumulated. Species such as Sphaerium occidentale, Musculium
lacustre, Pisidium casertanum and P. ventricosum Prime, 185124 (in Europe P. obtusale
(Lamarck, 1818)25 are often abundant in small forest lakes or streams with bottoms cov-
ered with dead tree leaves. Only several species (Sphaerium striatinum and P. dubium (Say,
1822), in Europe S. rivicola, S. solidum (Normand, 1844) and P. amnicum (Mu�ller) show
clear preference to lotic environments and coarser sediments (sand or even gravel). Despite
their ability for dispersal by birds and water insects (Mackie, 1979), sphaeriids are rarely
found in artificial pools not connected with natural streams (personal observation).
P r a c t i c a l a p p l i c a t i o n s. Until now, the sphaeriids did not seem to be of any
practical importance. While many of them contain trematode larvae (personal observa-
tions), none were reported to be intermediate hosts of human parasites. Being small and
having a short life span, they are not as suitable for environmental monitoring as unio-
nids. Apparently, some species may be indicators of good (or bad) water quality (for
example in Europe, P. amnicum and P. pulchellum Jenyns, 183226 while in America they
are yet to be determined). It is also necessary to include this group in current ecolog-
ical surveys, since some species are apparently vulnerable because of their limited dis-
tribution and specific ecological demands. They may suffer from water pollution,
change of habitats and other negative consequences of human activity.
Addendum: the list of North American sphaeriids that were absent in the manuscript
Euglesa aequilateralis (Prime, 1851)
E. compressa (Prime, 1851)
E. fallax (Sterki, 1896)
E. ferruginea (Prime, 1851)
E. insignis (Gabb, 1888)
E. milia (Held, 1836)
E. rotundata (Prime, 1865)
E. variabilis (Prime, 1851)
E. walkeri (Sterki, 1895)
E. adamsi (Prime, 1851)
Musculium partumeium (Say, 1822)
M. secures (Prime, 1851)
Neopisidium simplex (Sterki, 1895)
N. cruciatum (Sterki, 1895)
Sphaerium rhomboideum (Say, 1822)
Family Corbiculidae — Asiatic Clams
Only one species of this family, Corbicula fluminea (Mu�ller, 1774), is reliably iden-
tified in North America as being introduced before 1938 (Britton, Morton, 1979). The
presence of a second, not yet identified species is possible (Morton, 1986; Siripattrawan
et al., 2000). The type locality of C. fluminea is Canton, China (Araujo et al., 1993),
and the species is considered to be widely distributed in South East Asia (Morton, 1986).
19Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves…
24 Euglesa ventricosa in Korniushin’s list.
25 Euglesa obtusalis in Korniushin, 1996.
26 Pseudeupera pulchella in Korniushin, 1996.
Many other Corbicula Megerle von Muhl Feld, 1811 species were described from
different Asian countries, Africa and Australia; their taxonomic status is still disputable,
and some modern reviewers (Morton, 1986) recognize only two species, namely C. flu-
minea and C. fluminalis (Mu �ller, 1774) (type locality — Euphrat River in
Mesopotamia). Introduced populations of C. fluminea were found also in South
America (Buenos Aires), and both above mentioned species were introduced to West
Europe (see Morton, 1986 and Araujo et al., 1993 for reviews). Corbicula is reported
to be a serious pest in its introduced range (Morton, 1979 after: Morton, 1986).
The morphology and biology of Corbicula was extensively described by Britton and
Morton (1979), and only the most remarkable characters are presented here. They dif-
fer from sphaeriids in their much larger size (normally up to 35 mm long, but in some
populations up to 60 mm). The sculpture is much coarser, and arrangement of ribs may
be a taxonomic character (about 10 pronounced ribs per 10 mm in C. fluminea, and
more than 15 in C. fluminalis). The hinge of each valve includes 3 cardinal teeth, and
long lateral teeth (the same set as in Sphaerium) that bear small denticles. Pores simi-
lar to that of sphaeriids are noticeable on the inner surface. The mantle line is clear and
smooth (without any extending muscle scars), and a small pallial sinus is usually notice-
able; in some other corbiculid genera, e. g. in the South American Neocorbicula
Fischer, 1887, the mantle sinus is pronounced.
The siphons of Corbicula are relatively short and their openings are fringed with
papillae. Form and pigmentation of siphons, as well as number and arrangement of
papillae were also suggested as species diagnostic characters (Britton, Morton, 1979;
Harada, Nishino, 1995), but many Asian species and forms are not yet studied in this
respect. The siphonal muscles form two broad bands, as in marine venerid bivalves.
Each gill consists of two almost equally developed demibranchs (outer one somewhat
lower). The gonad is big and branched, and produces a great number of oocytes.
Corbicula fluminea is proterandric or simultaneous harmaphrodite with a triploid chro-
mosome set based on n = 18 (Okamoto, Arimoto, 1986). The fertilized eggs are incu-
bated within the inner demibranch without any brood pouches. The larvae are released
with a straight-hinged (D-shaped) shell, but an already well developed creeping foot.
Even longer incubation of young takes place in Neocorbicula limosa (Maton, 1809); the
larvae of this species reach in gills apparently rather advanced stage of development,
and several broods may develop in one parent animal simultaneously (Ituarte, 1994;
Dreher Mansur, Meier-Brook, 2000). The other mode of reproduction (dioecious,
releasing free-swimming larvae without incubation) was reported for some Asian taxa.
Modern Japanese authors (Harada, Nishino, 1995) recognize one of them as a distinct
species Corbicula japonica (Prime, 1864), but Morton (1986) assign all non-incubating
forms to C. fluminalis. An intermediate mode (release of creeping larvae without incu-
bation) is known in C. sandai Reinhardt, 1878, restricted to the Japanese lake Biwa
(Harada and Nishino, 1995). Both C. japonica and C. sandai are diploid (2n = 19 and
18, respectively, see Okamoto, Arimoto, 1986 for details). C. fluminea lives 3 years, and
C. japonica — up to 9 years (Morton, 1986, a review).
In America, Corbicula can be found in rivers, including the low courses and reser-
voirs, but generally not in estuaries. It occurs both in lotic and lentic conditions, main-
ly embedded in coarse sediments (sand and gravel). In contrast, the non-incubating
Asian forms, are estuarine (brackish water). The broad ecological range correlated with
a variety of reproduction modes makes Corbiculidae (and the genus Corbicula in par-
ticular) the good model for studying the evolutionary adaptation of bivalves for fresh-
water environments.
The methods and equipment for collecting Corbicula are basically the same as sug-
gested for sphaeriids. Handling them is definitely simpler because of their larger size.
Special methods for the chromosome study are described in A. Okamoto and
20 A. V. Korniushin
B. Arimoto (1986), and the DNA sequencing data are summarized by S. Siripattrawan
et al. (2000). Given the on-gong dispute on the taxonomy of various Corbicula forms,
the further studies on their morphology (including anatomy and the chromosomes),
DNA sequences and biology are of great importance.
Family Dreissenidae — Zebra Mussels
Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) appeared in North America in 1988 (Hebert
et al., 1989; Ludyanskiy et al., 1993). A second European species, D. bugensis
(Andrusov, 1897) (sometimes called quagga mussel), was also reported (Mills et al.,
1996). Dreissena Beneden, 1835 can be immediately recognized by their triangular shell,
somewhat similar to that of Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758 and attached mode of life. The
byssus is very well developed, and the foot in the adult specimens is rudimentary. The
anterior adductor muscles are reduced; the poster adductor and the pedal muscle are
strong and form big scars. Two siphons are present, and both demibranchs of each gill
are almost equally developed. A big massive gonad is placed at the base of the foot. In
contrast to other freshwater bivalves, Dreissena releases free swimming veligers. Further
information on distribution, habitats and life cycles of American populations can be
obtained from the above mentioned papers.
Araujo R., Moreno D., Ramos M. A. The Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea (Muller, 1774) in Europe // Amer.
Malacolog. Bull. — 1993. — 10, 1. — P. 39–49.
Britton J. C., Morton B. Corbicula in North America: the evidence reviewed and evaluated // Proceedings of
the First International Corbicula Symposium (Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Oct. 13–15) /
Ed. J. D. Britton. — Fort Worth : Texas Christian University Research Foundation, 1979. —
P. 249–287.
Burch J. B. Freshwater sphaeriacean clams (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of North America. Malacological
publications. — Hamburg ; Michigan, 1975. — 96 p.
Burch J. B., Huber J. M. Polyploidy in molluscs // Malacologia. — 1966. — 5. — P. 41–43.
Burch J. B., Park G.-M., Chung E.-Y. Michigan’s polyploid bivalves // Michigan Academician. — 1998. —
30. — P. 351–352.
Cox L. R., Newell N. D., Boyd D. W. et al. Bivalvia : Treatise on Invertebrate Paleonthology. Part VI.
Mollusca 6 / Ed. R. C. Moore. — Lawrence : University of Kansas, 1969. — P. 1–489.
Dreher Mansur M. C., Meier-Brook C. Morphlogy of Eupera Bourguignat 1854 and Byssanodonta Orbigny
1846 with contributions to the phylogenetic systematics of Sphaeriidae and Corbiculidae (Bivalvia:
Veneroida) // Archiv fur Moluskenkunde. — 2000. — 128, 1/2. — P. 1–59.
Ellis A. E. British freshwater bivalve Mollusca. Keys and notes for the identification of the species // Synopses
of the British fauna. Ser. New. — 1978. — 11. — P. 1–95.
Grigorovich I. A., Korniushin A. V., MacIsaac H. J. Moitessier’s pea clam Pisidium moitessierianum (Bivalvia,
Sphaeriidae): a cryptogenic mollusc in the Great Lakes // Hydrobiologia. — 2000. — 435. —
P. 153–165.
Harada E., Nishino M. Differences in inhalant siphonal papillae among the Japanese species of Corbicula
(Mollusca: Bivalvia) // Publications of Seto Marine Biology Laboratory. — 1995. — 36, N 6. —
P. 389–408.
Heard W. H. Comparative life histories of North American pea clams (Sphaeriidae: Pisidium) //
Malacologia. — 1965. — 2. — P. 381–411.
Heard W. H. Reproduction of fingernail clams (Sphaeriidae: Sphaerium & Musculium) // Malacologia. —
1977. — 16, 2. — P. 421–455.
Hebert P. D. N., Muncaster B. W., Mackie G. L. Ecological and genetic studies on Dreissena polymorpha
(Pallas): a new mollusc in the Great Lakes // Canad. J. fishery and aquatic science. — 1989. — 46,
15. — P. 87–1591.
Herrington H. B. A revision of the Sphaeriidae of North America (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) // Miscellaneous
publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. — 1962. — 118. — P. 1–74.
Holopainen I. J., Hanski I. Life history variation in Pisidium (Bivalvia: Pisidiidae) // Holarctic ecology. —
1986. — 9. — P. 85–98.
Korniushin A. V. Anatomy of some pill clams from Africa, with the description of new taxa // J. Molluscan
Studies. — 1995. — 61. — P. 163–172.
Korniushin A. V. Bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Pisidioidea in the Palearctic region (fauna, systematics,
phylogeny). — Kyiv : Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, 1996. — 175 p.
21Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves…
Kuiper J. G. J., Wolf W. J. The Mollusca of the estuarine region of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt in
relation to the hydrography of the area. III. The genus Pisidium // Basteria. — 1970. — 34, 1–2. —
P. 1–42.
Ituarte C. F. Corbicula and Neocorbicula (Bivalvia: Corbiculidae) in the Parana, Uruguay and Rio de la Plata
basins // Nautilus. — 1994. — 107, 4. — P. 129–135.
Lopez G. R., Holopainen I. J. Interstitial suspension-feeding by Pisidium spp. (Pisidiidae: Bivalvia): a new
guild in the lentic benthos // Amer. Malacolog. Bull. — 1987. — 5, l. — P. 21–30.
Ludyanskiy M. L., McDonald D., MacNeill D. Impact of the zebra mussel, a bivalve invader // BioScience. —
1993. — 43. — P. 533–544.
Mackie G. L. Dispersal mechanisms in Sphaeriidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) // Bull. Amer. Malacolog. Union. —
1979. — 45. — P. 17–21.
Mackie G. L., Qadri S. U., Clarke A. H. Byssus structure of larval forms of the fingernail clam, Musculium
securis (Prime) // Canad. J. Zoology. — 1974. — 52. — P. 945–946.
Mandahl-Barth G. Studies on African freshwater bivalves. — Charlottenlund : Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory,
1988. — 161 p.
Meier-Brook C. Untersuchungen zur Biologie einiger Pisidium-Arten // Archiv fur Hydrobiologie Supplement
(Stuttgart). — 1970. — 38. — P. 73–150.
Mills E. L., Rosenberg G., Spidle A. P. et al. A review of the biology and ecology of the quagga mussel
(Dreissena bugensis), a second species of the freshwater dreissenid introduced to North America //
American Zoologist. — 1996. — 36. — P. 271–286.
Morton B. Freshwater fouling bivalves // Proceedings of the I Internat. Corbicula Sympos., Texas Christian
University Fort Worth (Oct. 13–15) / Ed. J. D. Britton. — Fort Worth: Texas Christian University
Research Foundation, 1979. — P. 15–38.
Morton B. Corbicula in Asia — an updated synthesis // Amer. Malacolog. Bull. Special Ed. — 1986. — 2. —
P. 113–124.
Okamoto A. Arimoto B. Chromosomes of Corbicula japonica, C. sandai and C. (Corbiculina) leana (Bivalvia,
Corbiculidae) // Venus. — 1986. — 45, 3. — P. 194–202.
Park J. K., Foighil D. Sphaeriid and Corbiculid clams represent separate heterodont bivalve radiations into
freshwater environments // Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution. — 2000. — 14, l. — P. 75–88.
Siripattrawan S., Park J. K., Foighil D. Two lineages of the introduced Asian freshwater clam Corbicula occur
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22 A. V. Korniushin
|
| id | nasplib_isofts_kiev_ua-123456789-64934 |
| institution | Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
| issn | 0084-5604 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-24T10:49:28Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| publisher | Інститут зоології ім. І.І. Шмальгаузена НАН України |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | Korniushin, A.V. 2014-06-21T14:05:05Z 2014-06-21T14:05:05Z 2007 Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna/ A.V. Korniushin // Вестник зоологии. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 1. — С. 13–22. — Бібліогр.: 31 назв. — англ. 0084-5604 https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/64934 594.1(7) The article concerns recent representatives of the North American freshwater bivalve mollusks from the three families: Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae. Since only the first family contains aborigine North American species, the paper is focused on this group. The Corbiculidae are represented by a single species (Corbicula fluminea) and Dreissenidae by two species (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) introduced from Europe and Asia. Статья представляет собой обзор современных пресноводных двустворчатых моллюсков Северной Америки из семейств Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae и Dreissenidae. Особое внимание уделяется сфериидам, так как к этому семейству относятся автохтонные североамериканские виды. Два других семейства представлены вселенцами из Европы и Азии — одним видом корбикулид (Corbicula fluminea) и двумя видами дрейссенид (Dreissena polymorpha и D. bugensis), и для них приведены только краткие характеристики. en Інститут зоології ім. І.І. Шмальгаузена НАН України Вестник зоологии Фауна и систематика Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna Пресноводные двустворчатые моллюски (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) фауны Северной Америки Article published earlier |
| spellingShingle | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna Korniushin, A.V. Фауна и систематика |
| title | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna |
| title_alt | Пресноводные двустворчатые моллюски (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) фауны Северной Америки |
| title_full | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna |
| title_fullStr | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna |
| title_short | Non-Unionid Freshwater Bivalves (Sphaeriidae, Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae) of North American Fauna |
| title_sort | non-unionid freshwater bivalves (sphaeriidae, corbiculidae, dreissenidae) of north american fauna |
| topic | Фауна и систематика |
| topic_facet | Фауна и систематика |
| url | https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/64934 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT korniushinav nonunionidfreshwaterbivalvessphaeriidaecorbiculidaedreissenidaeofnorthamericanfauna AT korniushinav presnovodnyedvustvorčatyemollûskisphaeriidaecorbiculidaedreissenidaefaunysevernoiameriki |