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Epioblasma obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820)

Purple cat's paw pearlymussel, Catspaw

 

 

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Homotypic synonyms: Obliquaria (Scalenaria) obliquata Rafinesque, 1820; Dysnomia obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Dysnomia obliquata obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Epioblasma obliquata obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Plagiola (Pilea) obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Plagiola obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Pleurobema obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Quadrula (Obliquata) obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Quadrula (Quadrula) obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820); Quadrula obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820);

Heterotypic synonyms: Unio sulcatus I. Lea, 1829; Dysnomia (Pilea) sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Dysnomia (Scalenilla) sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Dysnomia sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Dysnomia sulcata sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Epioblasma (Scalenilla) sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Epioblasma sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Epioblasma sulcata sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Margarita (Unio) sulcatus (I. Lea, 1829); Margaron (Unio) sulcatus (I. Lea, 1829); Truncilla (Scalenaria) sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Truncilla (Scalenilla) sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Truncilla sulcata (I. Lea, 1829); Unio perplexus Say, 1829; Plagiola ridibundus (Say, 1829); Unio ridibundus Say, 1829; Unio flagellatus Say, 1830; Unio pectitus Conrad, 1854; Dysnomia (Pilea) sulcata pectita (Conrad, 1854); Unio propesulcatus De Gregorio, 1914; Unio stewardsonii stewensoni De Gregorio, 1914

 

See Graf & Cummings (2025) for a more complete taxonomic history.

 

Conservation Status

Last record: 1990 [functionally Extinct] (NatureServe, 2025)

Rediscovered in: 1994 [viable population] (Hoggarth et al., 1995; NatureServe, 2025)

IUCN RedList status: Endangered

 

Distribution & Habitat

USA

 

Biology & Ecology

 

 

Hypodigm

 

 

Media

 

 

References

Original scientific description:

Rafinesque, C. S. (1820). Monographie des coquilles bivalves et fluviatiles de la Rivière Ohio, contenant douze genres et soixante-huit espéces. Annales Générales des Sciences Physiques. 5(5): 287-322, pls 80-82.

 

Other references:

Adams, Henry and Adams, Arthur. (1857). The Genera of Recent Mollusca; Arranged According to their Organization, Vol. II, (31-32): 477-540. London: J. Van Voorst.

Agassiz, L. (1852). Ueber die Gattungen unter den Nord Amerikanischen Najaden. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 18(1): 41-52.

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (eds). (1996). 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. pp. 378. International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Bogan, Arthur E. (Mollusc Specialist Group). (2000). Epioblasma obliquata ssp. obliquata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2000: e.T7893A12862635. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T7893A12862635.en. Accessed on 02 July 2025.

Burch, J. B. (1975). Freshwater unionacean clams (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of North America. Malacological Publications: Hamburg, Michigan. 204 pp.

Call, R. E. (1900). A descriptive illustrated catalogue of the Mollusca of Indiana. Indiana Department of Geology and Natural Resources (1899): 335-535.

Campbell, D. C. and Lydeard, C. (2012). The genera of the Pleurobemini (Bivalvia: Unionidae: Ambleminae). American Malacological Bulletin 30(1): 19-38. https://doi.org/10.4003/006.030.0102

Cicerello, R. R. and Schuster, G. A. (2003). A guide to the freshwater mussels of Kentucky. Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission Scientific and Technical Series 7: 1-62.

Conrad, T. A. (1853). A synopsis of the family of Naïades of North America, with notes, and a table of some of the genera and sub-genera of the family, according to their geographical distribution, and descriptions of genera and sub-genera. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 6: 243-269.

Cummings, Kevin S. and Mayer, C. A. (1992). Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest (Illinois Natural History Survey Manual Vol. 5. Champaign, IL: Illinois Natural History Survey. 194 pp.

Cummings, Kevin S. and Mayer, C. A. (1997). Distributional checklist and status of Illinois freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Unionacea). [in] Cummings et al. (eds.), Conservation and Management of Freshwater Mussels II: initiatives for the future. Proceedings of the UMRCC Symposium, 16-18 October 1995, St. Louis, Missouri: 129-145.

Férussac, A. E. J. P. J. F. d'Audebard de. (1835). Sur la Synonymie des Coquilles bivalves de l'Amérique Septentrionale, et Essai d'une Table de Concordance à ce sujet. Magasin de Zoologie 5(59-60): 1-9.

Frierson, L. S. (1927). A Classified and Annotated Checklist of the North American Niades. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press. 111 pp.

Graf, Daniel L. and Cummings, Kevin S. (2021). A ‘big data’ approach to global freshwater mussel diversity (Bivalvia: Unionoida), with an updated checklist of genera and species. Journal of Molluscan Studies 87(1): eyaa034 (36 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyaa034

Graf, Daniel L. and Cummings, Kevin S. (2025). The Freshwater Mussels (Unionoida) of the World (and other less consequential bivalves). MUSSEL Project Web Site, https://www.mussel-project.net/. Accessed 2 July 2025.

Groombridge, B. (ed.). (1994). 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Haag, Wendell R. (2009). Past and future patterns of freshwater mussel extinctions in North America during the Holocene, pp. 107-128. In: Turvey, Samuel T. (ed.). Holocene Extinctions. Oxford, UK & New York, USA: Oxford University Press. xii + 352 pp.

Haas, F. (1930). Über nord-und mittelamerikanische Najaden. Senckenbergiana 12(6): 317-330.

Haas, F. (1969a). Superfamilia Unionacea. Das Tierreich 88: x, 1-663. Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin.

Haas, F. (1969b). Superfamily Unionacea. Treatise on Invert. Paleo: N411-N470.

Hanley, Sylvanus. (1843). An illustrated and descriptive catalogue of recent bivalve shells. London: Williams and Norgate. xviii + 1-392, sup. pls. 9-124.

Hilton-Taylor, Craig. (2000). 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Hoggarth, M. A., Rice, D. L. and Lee, D. M. (1995). Discovery of the federally endangered freshwater mussel, Epioblasma obliquata obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820) (Unionidae), in Ohio. Ohio Journal of Science 95(4): 298-299.

Hopper, G. W., Bucholz, J. R., DuBose, T. P., Fogelman, K. J., Keogh, S. M. et al. (2023). A trait dataset for freshwater mussels of the United States of America. Scientific Data 10: 745 (pp. 1-15). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02635-9

Jay, John C. (1835). Catalogue of Recent shells in the cabinet of John C. Jay, M.D. New York: D. Fanshaw. 55 pp.

Johnson, R. I. (1978). Systematics and zoogeography of Plagiola (= Dysnomia = Epioblasma), an almost extinct genus of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from middle North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 148: 239-321.

Johnson, R. I. (1980). Zoogeography of North American Unionacea (Mollusca: Bivalvia) north of the maximum Pleistocene glaciation. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 149(2): 77-189.

Küster, H. C. (1862). Die Flussperlmuscheln (Unio et Hyria). Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz Fortgesetzt von Hofrath Dr. G. v. Schubert und Professor Dr. J.A. Wagner 9(2): 257-318, pls. 68, 87-100.

Lea, I. (1829). Description of a new genus of the family of naïades, including eight species, four of which are new; also the description of eleven new species of the genus Unio from the rivers of the United States: with observation on some of the characters of the naïades. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. new ser., 3: 403-457, pls 7-14.

Lea, Isaac. (1836). A Synopsis of the Family of Naïades. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea and Blanchard / London: John Miller. 59 pp.

Lea, Isaac. (1838). A Synopsis of the Family of Naïades. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard. 44 pp.

Lea, Isaac. (1852). A Synopsis of the Family of Naïades. Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea. 88 pp.

Lea, Isaac. (1870). A Synopsis of the Family of Naïades. Philadelphia: Henry C. Lea. 184 pp.

Lydeard, C., Garner, J. T., Hartfield, P. and Williams, James D. (1999). Freshwater mussels in the Gulf Region: Alabama. Gulf of Mexico Science 17(2): 125-134.

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Epioblasma obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=857435 on 2025-07-02

Morrison, J. P. E. (1969). The earliest names for North American naiads. American Malacological Union, Inc. Annual Reports (1969): 22-24.

NatureServe. (2025). Epioblasma obliquata: Catspaw. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at: https://explorer.natureserve.org/ [Accessed 2 July 2025]

Ortmann, A. E. and Walker, B. (1922). On the nomenclature of certain North American naiades. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 112: 1-75.

Parmalee, P. W. and Bogan, Arthur E. (1998). The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. 328 pp.

Rafinesque, C. S. (1818). Discoveries in natural history, made during a journey through the Western region of the United States. American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review 3: 354-356.

Rafinesque, C. S. (1819). Prodrome de 70 nouveaux genres d'animaux découverts dans l'intérieur des Etats-Unis d'Amérique, durant l'année 1818. Journal de Physique, de Chimie, d'Histoire Naturelle 88: 417-429.

Ravenel, E. (1834). Catalogue of Recent Shells in the Cabinet of Edmund Ravenel, M.D.. 67 pp.

Reeve, L. (1864). Genus Unio. Conchologica Iconica 16: pls. 2-18.

Simpson, Charles Torrey. (1900). Synopsis of the naiades, or pearly fresh-water mussels. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 22(1205): 501-1044, pl. 18.

Simpson, Charles Torrey. (1914). A descriptive catalogue of the naiades, or pearly fresh-water mussels. Parts I-III. Detroit, Michigan: Bryant Walker. 1540 pp.

Strayer, D. L. and Jirka, K. J. (1997). The Pearly Mussels of New York State. New York State Museum Memoir (26). 113 pp., 27 pls.

Swainson, W. A. (1840). A Treatise on Malacology: or the Natural Classification of Shells and Shell-Fish. London, Printed for Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans [etc.]. 419 pp.

Turgeon, D. D., Bogan, A. E., Coan, E. V., Emerson, W. K., Lyons, W. G. et al. (1988). Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. American Fisheries Society Special Publication (16). 277 pp.

Turgeon, D. D., Quinn, J. F., Jr., 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: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland: 526 pp.

Vanatta, E. G. (1915). Rafinesque's types of Unio. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 67: 549-559.

Vidrine, M. F. (1993). The Historical Distributions of Freshwater Mussels in Louisiana. 255 pp., 20 pl.

Watters, G. Thomas, Hoggarth, Michael A. and Stansbery, David H. (2009). The Freshwater Mussels of Ohio. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press. xiv + 421 pp. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16b77pv

Wells, S. M., Pyle, R. M. and Collins, N. M. (compilers). (1983). The IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Williams, James D., Bogan, Arthur E., Butler, Robert S., Cummings, Kevin S., Garner, Jeffrey T., Harris, John L., Johnson, Nathan A. and Watters, G. Thomas. (2017). A revised list of the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida) of the United States and Canada. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation 20: 33-58.

Williams, James D., Bogan, Arthur E. and Garner, Jeffrey T. (2008). Freshwater mussels of Alabama and the Mobile Basin in Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. xv + 908 pp.

Williams, James D., Warren, M. L., Cummings, Kevin S., Harris, J. L. and Neves, R. J. (1993). Conservation status of freshwater mussels of the United States and Canada. Fisheries 18(9): 6-22. https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(1993)018%3C0006:CSOFMO%3E2.0.CO;2

Wright, B. H. (1888). Check List of North American Unionidae and Other Fresh Water Bivalves. Portland, Oregon: Dorne & Cook, Printers. 8 pp. (un paginated).

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/team-effort-brings-mussel-once-feared-extinct-back-to-ohio/article_f677efcf-11c4-5d0c-bd40-7f1ca602fb7b.html

https://www.fws.gov/midwest/news/PurpleCatsPaw.html

https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/22931/epioblasma-obliquata-purple-cats-pearlymussel

 

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