Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 10, 2026

Shiny pigtoe

The shiny pigtoe is a species of bivalve in the family Unionidae. It is endemic to the United States.

Last revised
Jul 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
340 w
Citations
11
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Shiny pigtoe
Museum specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Unionida
Family: Unionidae
Genus: Fusconaia
Species:
F. cor
Binomial name
Fusconaia cor
(Conrad, 1834)
Synonyms4
  • Fusconaia edgariana (Lea, 1840)
  • Unio cor Conrad, 1834
  • Unio edgarianus Lea, 1840
  • Unio obuncus Lea, 1871
  • Unio andersonensis Lea, 1872
  • Fusconaia cor subsp. analoga Ortmann, 1918

The shiny pigtoe (Fusconaia cor) is a species of bivalve in the family Unionidae. It is endemic to the United States.

The shiny pigtoe has been eliminated from most of its historic range.1 Populations currently exist in the North Fork of the Holston River, Clinch, Powell and Paint Rock river systems in Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia.5 Threats to the species include habitat alteration and fragmentation, hydroelectric dams, wastewater discharge, water withdrawal, non-native species, and runoff of silt and other pollutants.6

It is a medium-sized mussel that is about 2.5 inches (64 mm) in size. It has a smooth and shiny oval-shaped shell with distinguishing dark green to blackish rays on a yellow to brown background. Younger specimens have a bolder ray color patterning. The inner nacre is white.6

The shiny pigtoe is tachytichtic, spawning between late May and early June.5 Known glochidial hosts include the common (Luxilus cornutus), warpaint (Luxilus coccogenis), telescope (Notropis telescopus) and whitetail (Cyprinella galactura) shiners.5

This species appears to be most closely related to Fusconaia cuneolus.7

References

References

  1. Cummings, K.; Cordeiro, J. (2012). "Fusconaia cor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012 e.T8778A3146798. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T8778A3146798.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. "Shiny pigtoe (Fusconaia cor)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  3. 41 FR 24062
  4. "Fusconaia cor (Conrad, 1834)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. NatureServe (7 April 2023). "Fusconaia cor". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  6. US Fish and Wildlife Service. "Species profile for Shiny pigtoe (Fusconaia cor)".
  7. Campbell, David; Lydeard, Charles (2012). "Molecular Systematics of Fusconaia (Bivalvia: Unionidae: Ambleminae)". American Malacological Bulletin. 30 (1): 1–17. Bibcode:2012AMalB..30....1C. doi:10.4003/006.030.0101. S2CID 84552044.