Unionidae Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - present,
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Six endangered species of Unionidae | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Unionida |
Superfamily: | Unionoidea |
Family: | Unionidae Fleming, 1828 |
Genera | |
See text |
The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids.[1][2]
The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most diverse in North America, with about 297 recognised taxa,[3][4][5] but China and Southeast Asia also support very diverse faunas.
Freshwater mussels occupy a wide range of habitats, but most often occupy lotic waters, i.e. flowing water such as rivers, streams and creeks.
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