Sphaerium
Encyclopedia
Sphaerium is a genus
of very small freshwater clams, aquatic
bivalve mollusks 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 around underwater on aquatic plants, using their long and strong foot.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of very small freshwater clams, aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
bivalve mollusks in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Sphaeriidae
Sphaeriidae
The Sphaeriidae are a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs, in the order Veneroida. In the USA they are commonly known as the pea clams and the fingernail clams.-Genera:Genera in the family Sphaeriidae include:* Musculium...
, known as the fingernail clams.
The small clams in this genus are unusual in that many of them, such as Sphaerium corneum
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 is up to 9 mm in size...
, can climb around underwater on aquatic plants, using their long and strong foot.
Species
- subgenus Sphaerium ScopoliGiovanni Antonio ScopoliGiovanni Antonio Scopoli was an Italian physician and naturalist.-Biography:...
, 1777- Sphaerium corneumSphaerium corneumSphaerium 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 is up to 9 mm in size...
(Linnaeus, 1758) - European fingernail clam
- Sphaerium corneum
- subgenus Nucleocyclas Alimov & Starobogatov, 1968
- Sphaerium nucleusSphaerium nucleusSphaerium nucleus is a freshwater bivalve of the family Sphaeriidae.-Description:It is a very small bi-valve which may grow up to 8mm in each direction. It is a filter-feeder.-Distribution:Europe, Central Asia.* Austria* Britain and Ireland...
(Studer, 1820) - Sphaerium ovaleSphaerium ovaleSphaerium ovale is a freshwater bivalve of the family Sphaeriidae.-Distribution and Conservation status:* not mentioned in IUCN Red List - Not Evaluated * Germany...
(A. FérussacAndré Étienne d'Audebert de FérussacBaron André Étienne Justin Pascal Joseph François d'Audebert de Férussac was a French naturalist best known for his studies of molluscs...
, 1807)
- Sphaerium nucleus
- subgenus Parasphaerium Alimov & Starobogatov, 1968
- Sphaerium nitidum Clessin, 1876 - Arctic fingernail clam
- subgenus Amesoda Rafinesque, 1820
- Sphaerium rivicolaSphaerium rivicolaSphaerium rivicola is a species of freshwater bivalve from family Sphaeriidae.-Distribution:It's native distribution is European.* Czech Republic - in Bohemia, in Moravia, endangered* Germany - high endangered...
(Lamarck, 1818)
- Sphaerium rivicola
- subgenus Cyrenastrum Bourguignat, 1854
- Sphaerium solidumSphaerium solidumSolid Orb Mussel, Sphaerium solidum is a species of freshwater bivalve from family Sphaeriidae.- Distribution and conservation status :* Not listed in IUCN red list - not evaluated...
(Normand, 1844)
- Sphaerium solidum
- without subgenus
- Sphaerium asiaticum (Martens, 1864)
- Sphaerium bequaertiSphaerium bequaertiSphaerium bequaerti is a species of bivalve in the Sphaeriidae family. It is found in Burundi, Central African Republic, Malawi, and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-Source:...
(Dautzenberg & Germain, 1914) - data deficient (DD) - Sphaerium cornuta
- Sphaerium novaezelandiaeSphaerium novaezelandiaeSphaerium novaezelandiae is a very small freshwater clam, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Sphaeriidae, sometimes known as the fingernail clams.-References:...
Deshayes, 1854 - Sphaerium stuhlmanniSphaerium stuhlmanniSphaerium stuhlmanni is a species of bivalve in the Sphaeriidae family. It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-Source:* Lange, C.N. & Ngereza, C. 2004. . Downloaded on 7 August 2007....
Martens, 1897 - data deficient (DD)
External links
- http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id3011
- http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/sphaerium.html