Summary ²

Ellipsaria lineolata is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This is the sole species in the monotypic genus Ellipsaria . This species is native to the drainage systems of the Mississippi River and the Mobile River in the United States.

Diagnostic description ³

The butterfly shell is moderate in size (to ≈13 cm long), thick, and has a triangular outline. The outside of the shell is yellow with interrupted, brownish stripes radiating out from its hinge. The posterior edge is sharply angled. Female shells are generally smaller than males and more inflated posteriorly (Cummings and Mayer 1992, Parmalee and Bogan 1988, Williams et al., 2008, Watters et al., 2009).

Distribution ⁴

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) This species ranges in the Mississippi River drainage from western Pennsylvania (Ohio River drainage) west to Minnesota and eastern Kansas (Murray and Leonard, 1962), south to eastern Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and southwest Mississippi (Vidrine, 1993); in the Cumberland River downstream of Cumberland Falls and in the southeast in the Tennessee River proper all the way south to the Tombigbee and Alabama River systems (Parmalee and Bogan, 1998; Williams et al., 2008).

Ecology ⁵

The butterfly is a benthic filter feeder, helping to clean the waters they live in (McMahon 1991, MNDNR).

Habitat ⁶

The butterfly is found in medium to large rivers in areas with flowing waters and in substrates of gravel or coarse sand (Cummings and Mayer 1992, Parmalee and Bogan 1998, Williams et al., 2008). Some specimens in the South have been found to adapt to life in reservoirs, and are found at depths up to 20 feet or along wave swept shores (Cordeiro 2010, Parmalee and Bogan 1998, Williams et al., 2008). It can also be found in the tailwaters of dams or in overbank habitats, preferring areas with minimal silt deposition (Williams et al., 2008).

Iucn red list assessment ⁷

• Needs updating

Assessor/s

Morphology ⁸

The butterfly is encased in a somewhat triangular, thick shell. Its anterior end is rounded, while its posterior end is pointed ventrally. The shell is smooth with a yellow to yellow-green to yellow-brown exterior (periostracum), with broken brown rays. They can be up to 13 cm long (Cummings and Mayer 1992, Parmalee and Bogan 1998, Seitman 2003, Williams et al., 2008).

Nature serve conservation status ⁹

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: This species ranges in the Mississippi River drainage from western Pennsylvania (Ohio River drainage) west to Minnesota and eastern Kansas (Murray and Leonard, 1962), south to eastern Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and southwest Mississippi (Vidrine, 1993); in the Cumberland River downstream of Cumberland Falls and in the southeast in the Tennessee River proper all the way south to the Tombigbee and Alabama River systems. Most populations are stable with minor decline in Minnesota and expansion in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Not intrinsically vulnerable

Environmental Specificity: Broad. Generalist or community with all key requirements common.

Comments: This species reaches its greatest abundance in large rivers in stretches with pronounced current and a substrate of coarse sand and gravel. It appears to have been successful in adapting to impoundment conditions in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers where it is locally common and can be found at depths of up to 20 feet (Parmalee and Bogan, 1998).

Sources and Credits

1. (c) USFWS Mountain Prairie, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellipsaria_lineolata.jpg
2. Adapted by rkkessler from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsaria_lineolata
3. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/14270964
4. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28851176
5. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/14270967
6. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/14270970
7. (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34440618
8. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/14270972
9. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28851170

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SeaLifeBase
• World Register of Marine Species

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