Hyridella glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898:112)

Glenelg freshwater mussel

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Synonyms: Unio glenelgensis Dennant, 1898:112; Protohydridella glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898:112); Diplodon glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898:112); Hyridella (Protohyridella) glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898:112)

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

Conservation Status

Last record (disputed): 1990 (Playford & Walker, 2008); 1991 (Walker et al., 2001:24)

Rediscovered in: 2000 (Playford & Walker, 2008)

IUCN RedList status: Critically Endangered

Distribution & Habitat

South Australia & Crawford River, Victoria, Australia

Biology & Ecology

Hypodigm

Media

References

Original scientific description:

Dennant, J. (1898). Description of a new species of Unio from the River Glenelg. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 10(2): 112-113.

Other references:

Brainwood, M., Burgin, S. and Byrne, M. (2006). Is the decline of freshwater mussel populations in a regulated coastal river in south-eastern Australia linked with human modification of habitat? Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems: 501-516.

Cotton, B. C. and Gabriel, C. J. (1932). Australian Unionidae. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 44: 155-160, pl. XVI. [p. 160]

Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW). (2009). Environmental flow assessment for the Macquarie River catchment upstream of Lake River. Water Assessment Aquatic Ecology Report WA 09/01. Department of Primary Industries and Water, Hobart.

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE). (2009). Status of fish communities and observations on South Esk freshwater mussel (Velesunio moretonicus) populations in the Macquarie River catchment upstream of Lake River. Water Assessment Aquatic Ecology Report WA 09/02. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

DSE (Department of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne). (2009). Advisory list of threatened invertebrate fauna of Victoria – 2009. Department of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne.

Graf, Daniel L. and Cummings, Kevin S. (2007). Review of the systematics and global diversity of freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionoida). Journal of Molluscan Studies 73: 291-314.

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.).

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 23 June 2025.

Haas, F. (1969a). Superfamilia Unionacea. Das Tierreich 88: 1-663.

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

Iredale, T. (1934). The fresh-water mussels of Australia. Australian Zoologist 8: 57-78.

Iredale, T. (1943). A basic list of the fresh water Mollusca of Australia. Australian Zoologist 10: 188-230.

Jones, H. A. and Byrne, M. (2014). Changes in the distributions of freshwater mussels (Unionoida: Hyriidae) in coastal south‐eastern Australia and implications for their conservation status. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 24(2): 203-217. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2402

Klunzinger, M. W. (2023). Conservation status of freshwater mussels in Australia – new species, new listings, and work to come. Tentacle 31: 3-5.

Klunzinger, M. W., Beatty, S. J., Morgan, D. L., Thomson, G. J. and Lymbery, A. J. (2012). Glochidia ecology in wild fish populations and laboratory determination of competent host fishes for an endemic freshwater mussel of south-western Australia. . Australian Journal of Zoology 60: 26-36.

Klunzinger, M., Sheldon, F., Hobbs, M. and Jones, H. A. (2022). Freshwater Mussel Conservation in Australia – Problems and Prospects, Molluscs 2022 Conference: Meeting of the Malacological Society of Australasia, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/420081

McMichael, D. F. and Hiscock, I. D. (1958). A monograph of the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) of the Australian region. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 9(3): 372-508 + 19 plates. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9580372

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Hyridella glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1306622 on 2025-06-22

New, Tim R. (2020). Macroinvertebrates of Inland Waters, pp. 161-171. Insect Conservation and Australia’s Inland Waters. Springer Nature Switzerland AG. ["one Victorian species (Hyridella glenelgensis) is likely to be extinct" (p. 169)]

Playford, T. J. (2005). Conservation Status of the Endangered Glenelg River Mussel Hyridella glenelgensis (Dennant, 1898) (Unionoida: Hyriidae). Unpublished BSc Honours Thesis. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide.

Playford, T. J. and Walker, K. F. (2008). Status of the endangered Glenelg River Mussel Hyridella glenelgensis (Unionoida: Hyriidae) in Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 18: 679-691. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.877

Sheldon, F. and Walker, K. F. (1993). Short communication. Pipelines as a refuge for freshwater snails. Regulated Rivers: Research & Management 8(3): 295-299.

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

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

Smith, B. J. (1992). Non-marine Mollusca. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 8. 399 pp.

Thiele, J. (1934). Handbuch der systematischen Weichtierkunde 3: 779-1022.

Walker, K. F. (1981). Ecology of freshwater mussels in the River Murray. Australian Water Resources Council Technical Papers 63, Canberra.

Walker, Keith F., Byrne, M., Hickey, C. W. and Roper, D. S. (2001). Freshwater Mussels (Hyriidae) of Australasia, pp. 5-31. In: Bauer, G. and Wächtler, K. (eds.). Ecology and Evolution of the Freshwater Mussels Unionoida. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.

Walker, Keith F., Jones, Hugh A. and Klunzinger, Michael W. (2014). Bivalves in a bottleneck: taxonomy, phylogeography and conservation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) in Australasia. Hydrobiologia 735(1): 61-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1522-9

Walker, K. F., Jones, H. A. and Klunzinger, M. (2014). Hyridella glenelgensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T58609631A58628791. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T58609631A58628791.en. Downloaded on 30 December 2015.

Wells, S. M., Pyle, R. M. and Collins, N. M. (1983). IUCN invertebrate red data book. Lausanne, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

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