Epioblasma curtisii (Frierson & Utterback, 1916)

Curtis pearlymussel, Curtis' pearlymussel, Curtus's pearlymussel (used by Suckling et al. 2004:7)

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Synonyms: Truncilla curtisii Frierson & Utterback, 1916; Dysnomia (Capsaeformis) florentina curtisii (Frierson & Utterback, 1916); Dysnomia florentina curtisi (Frierson & Utterback, 1916); Epioblasma florentina curtisii (Frierson & Utterback, 1916); Plagiola curtisi (Frierson & Utterback, 1916)

See Graf & Cummings (2025) for a more complete taxonomic history. Elevated to species status by (Williams et al., 2017).

Conservation Status

Extinct (Suckling et al., 2004)

Last record (disputed): 6 July 1993 (NatureServe, 2025); 1994 (Suckling et al., 2004)

Distribution & Habitat

Arkansas & Missouri, USA

Biology & Ecology

Hypodigm

Media

References

Original scientific description:

Utterback, W. I. (1916). The naiades of Missouri. – VII. The American Midland Naturalist. 4(10): 432-464, pls. 27, 28.

Other references:

Bruenderman, S. A. and Buchanan, A. C. (1998). Decline and extirpation of freshwater mussels in Little Black River, Missouri: There's still hope. TRIANNUAL UNIONID REPORT NO. 16. Available at: http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/FMCS/TUR/TUR16.html

Buchanan, A. C. (1988). Densities of the Curtis' Pearly Mussel and other naiades at selected sites in Little Black and Castor Rivers, Missouri. Unpublished report submitted to the Fish and Wildlife Service. 14 pp.

Buchanan, A. C. (1981). The distribution and habitat of the Curtis' pearly mussel, Epioblasma florentina curtisi(Utterback, 1915) in southeastern Missouri. The Bulletin of The American Malacological Union, Inc. 43 pp.

Buchanan, A. C. (1982). A study of Epioblasma florentina curtisi (Utterback 1915), the Curtis' Pearly Mussel, in the Upper Little Black River, Missouri. Soil Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Columbia, Missouri.

Buchanan, A. C. (1983a). An evaluation of the potential impacts of SCS structures B-9 and C-7 upon the Curtis' Pearly Mussel, Epioblasma florentina curtisi (Utterback 1915). Prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Central Region, Twin Cities, Minnesota. 30 pp.

Buchanan, A. C. (1983b). Distribution, abundance, status, and habitat of the Curtis' Pearly Mussel Epioblasma florentina curtisi in southern Missouri. Endangered Species Project SE-3-1, Fish and Wildlife Service. 10 pp.

Buchanon, A. C. (1987). Aspects of the life history of the Curtis' pearly mussel, Epioblasma florentina curtisi (Utterback 1915). Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri. 23 pp.

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

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 30 June 2025.

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

Harris, J. L. and Gordon, M. E. (1987). Distribution and status of rare and endangered mussels (Mollusca: Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) in Arkansas. Proceedings of the Arkansas Academy of Science, 41: 49-56.

Harris, J. L., Rust, P. J., Christian, A. C., Posey, W. R., II, Davidson, C. L. and Harp, G. L. (1997). Revised status of rare and endangered Unionacea (Mollusca: Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) in Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, 51: 66-89.

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

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.

McMurray, Stephen E., Faiman, J. Scott, Roberts, Andy, Simmons, Bryan and Barnhart, M. Christopher. (2012). A Guide to Missouri’s Freshwater Mussels. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Department of Conservation. 94 pp.

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Epioblasma curtisii (Frierson & Utterback, 1916). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1048271 on 2025-06-30

NatureServe. (2014). NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: January 27, 2015).

NatureServe. (2025). Epioblasma curtisii: Curtis Pearlymussel. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at: https://explorer.natureserve.org/ [Accessed 30 June 2025]

Neves, R. J. and and Ahlstedt, S. A. (2001). The Status of Species and Recovery Programs for Endangered Freshwater Mussels in the Southern Appalachians. IN U.S. Geological Survey Appalachian Region Integrated Science Workshop Proceedings, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, October 22-26, 2001, Open-File Report 01-406.

Oesch, Ronald D. and Oesch, Marilyn Worthen. (illustrator). (1984). Missouri Naiades: A Guide to the Mussels of Missouri. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Deptartment of Conservation. vii + 270 pp.

Ortmann, A. E. (1924). The naiad-fauna of Duck River in Tennessee. American Midland Naturalist 9(1): 18-62.

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.

Suckling, Kieran, Slack, Rhiwena and Nowicki, Brian. (2004). Extinct and the Endangered Species Act. Centre For Biological Diversity. 63 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.

Utterback, W. I. (1917). Naiad geography of Missouri. American Midland Naturalist 5(1): 26-30.

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

https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/18933/epioblasma-curtisii-curtis-pearly-mussel

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