Taxonomic reassessment of the freshwater mussel genus Unio (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Russia and Ukraine based on morphological and molecular data
Author
Klishko, Olga
Author
Lopes-Lima, Manuel
Author
Froufe, Elsa
Author
Bogan, Arthur
Author
Vasiliev, Lyudmila
Author
Yanovich, Lyudmila
text
Zootaxa
2017
4286
1
93
112
journal article
32760
10.11646/zootaxa.4286.1.4
47a8d367-e49b-48ef-96bd-3e64c208046a
1175-5326
828332
5DB7C509-5FC6-4285-9350-B52014158DD7
Unio pictorum
(
Linnaeus, 1758
)
Synonyms
(in the study area)
Unio rostratus
Lamarck, 1819
.
Unio limosus
Nilsson, 1822
.
Unio longirostris
Rossmässler, 1836
.
Unio protractus
Lindholm, 1922
.
Description.
Shells are relatively thin (up to
7.9 mm
in the anterior shell section), more or less inflated, ratio of shell width to its height is 0.61–0.90. Shell shape elongate elliptical, ratio of shell height to its length is 0.37–0.53, dorsal and ventral margins nearly straight and parallel. Periostracum ranges from yellow and greenish to dark brown. Nacre is bluish-white. Umbo is wide, elevated above dorsal shell margin, umbo sculpture is either ‘nodulous’ consisting of two divergent rows of knobs or a complex of knobs and ribs. Pseudocardinal and lateral teeth are relatively thin (
0.20–0.26 mm
) and lamellar. The outer and inner pseudocardinal teeth of the left valve may be similar or different in length and height, and project inward at the same or different levels or they may occur merged as a single tooth. Dark wedge-like strip on the foot is well visible. Papillae of the incurrent aperture are elongated, spindle-shaped, and arranged in three to four rows; the pigmentation of the excurrent aperture is well expressed.
Comparisons.
This species differs from
U. tumidus
and
U. crassus
by having an elongate elliptical shell shape. The intraspecific shell convexity and periostracum color variations of specimens collected in different regions of
Russia
and the
Ukraine
are probably more related to environmental factors.
Distribution.
In
Russia
and
Ukraine
, it is restricted to the White, Baltic, Black and Caspian Sea drainage basins, also found in a restricted range in Transbaikalia, Asian
Russia
(
Fig. 1
).