Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Epioblasma torulosa (Epioblasma torulosa), recorded as Critically Endangered
Epioblasma torulosa (Epioblasma torulosa). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Epioblasma torulosa

Epioblasma torulosa

Epioblasma torulosa is a bivalve in the family Unionidae (order Unionida), recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Epioblasma torulosa
Taxonomy
Bivalvia · Unionida · Unionidae · Epioblasma

Appearance

The US Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Green and Tubercled blossom subspecies extinct and delisted it from the Endangered Species Act on October 16, 2023.

Range and habitat

It is native to eastern North America, where it is considered endangered in both Canada and the United States.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Breeding

Freshwater mussels bury in the bed and live for decades if the river still runs and the host fish still spawn.

In crisis

Epioblasma torulosa is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Epioblasma torulosa, Wikidata item Q3013076. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Cumberlandian combshell

Epioblasma brevidens
Photograph of Epioblasma triquetra (Epioblasma triquetra), recorded as EndangeredEN

Epioblasma triquetra

Epioblasma triquetra
Photograph of Oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis), recorded as EndangeredEN

Oyster mussel

Epioblasma capsaeformis
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus

Quick answers

What is Epioblasma torulosa?
Epioblasma torulosa is a bivalve in the family Unionidae (order Unionida).
What is the conservation status of Epioblasma torulosa?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Epioblasma torulosa. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Epioblasma torulosa live?
It is native to eastern North America, where it is considered endangered in both Canada and the United States.
Why is Epioblasma torulosa in crisis?
The US Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Green and Tubercled blossom subspecies extinct and delisted it from the Endangered Species Act on October 16, 2023.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Epioblasma torulosa?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Epioblasma torulosa a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.