The August 2026 Mussel of the Month is “Unio” cathaicus
We have to look into the past to bring a perfectly good species name back to our present
The MUSSEL Project
The objective of the MUSSEL Project is to organize, share, and discuss information about freshwater mussel classification, diversity, biogeography, and evolution.
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The July 2026 Mussel of the Month is Iridea granosa
A new genus in the Family Hyriidae, but the hyriid phylogeny still has some fuzzy edges
The June 2026 Mussel of the Month is Elliptio complanata
A mussel at the intersection of brooding period & biogeography
The May 2026 Mussel of the Month is Pseudodon mekongi
At least, that is what it is called today
The April 2026 Mussel of the Month is Brachyanodon impura
Finally: the genus Anodonta is only for species of Anodonta
The March 2026 Mussel of the Month is Globunio mirificus
A new species in a new genus in a new subtribe
The February 2026 Mussel of the Month is Lampsilis siliquoidea
But Lampsilis is a Camel
The January 2026 Mussel of the Month is Leila blainvilliana
Leila blainvilliana has peculiar posterior “siphons,” distinct from those of typical neotropical Mycetopodidae
The December 2025 Mussel of the Month is Mutela dubia
Mutela dubia (Iridinidae) from Africa, like so many freshwater mussels, has been “super-nominated”
The November 2025 Mussel of the Month is Schistodesmus xinyuensis
The old Schistodesmus lampreyanus (Unionidae) from China has been split-up based on molecular phylogenetic results