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

Critically Endangered

Unio tumidiformis

Unio tumidiformis

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

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Unio tumidiformis
Taxonomy
Bivalvia · Unionida · Unionidae · Unio

Appearance

Unio tumidiformis grows to a shell length of 57 mm (2.2 in) and wet weight of 16 g (0.56 oz).

Range and habitat

Unio tumidiformis occurs in temporary Mediterranean-type streams, surviving the dry season in pools that do not dry up. It is endemic to the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Existing populations are known from the Guadiana, Mira, and Sado Rivers in Portugal and Spain.

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

Populations from the Guadiana and Guadalquivir River basins have already been extirpated. This species is threatened by changes of hydrologic regime of the streams, natural droughts, gravel and water extraction, dams, and impoundments. Also the loss of suitable host fish and pollution are threats.

Unio tumidiformis 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 Unio tumidiformis, Wikidata item Q14753696. 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 Thick shelled river mussel (Unio crassus), recorded as EndangeredEN

Thick shelled river mussel

Unio crassus
Photograph of Dolphin Freshwater Mussel (Unio delphinus), recorded as EndangeredEN

Dolphin Freshwater Mussel

Unio delphinus
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus

Quick answers

What is Unio tumidiformis?
Unio tumidiformis is a bivalve in the family Unionidae (order Unionida).
What is the conservation status of Unio tumidiformis?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Unio tumidiformis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Unio tumidiformis live?
Unio tumidiformis occurs in temporary Mediterranean-type streams, surviving the dry season in pools that do not dry up.
Why is Unio tumidiformis in crisis?
Existing populations are known from the Guadiana, Mira, and Sado Rivers in Portugal and Spain.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Unio tumidiformis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Unio tumidiformis a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.