Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 10, 2026

Sphaerium nucleus

Sphaerium nucleus is a freshwater bivalve of the family Sphaeriidae. It has been often confused with Sphaerium corneum and is consequently quite poorly known.

Last revised
Jul 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
504 w
Citations
17
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Sphaerium nucleus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Sphaeriida
Family: Sphaeriidae
Genus: Sphaerium
Species:
S. nucleus
Binomial name
Sphaerium nucleus
(Studer, 1820)2
Synonyms
  • Sphaerium corneum var. nucleus
  • Cyclas nucleus Studer, 1820

Sphaerium nucleus is a freshwater bivalve of the family Sphaeriidae. It has been often confused with Sphaerium corneum and is consequently quite poorly known.1

Description

Sphaerium nucleus is a very small bivalve which may grow up to 8mm in width and length. It differs from Sphaerium corneum only in details. Like almost all bivalves, it is a filter-feeder.

Taxonomy

Sphaerium nucleus was described by Studer 1820, who placed it in the genus Cyclas. It was later thought to be a subspecies of Sphaerium corneum. Subsequently it was raised to a full species again as Sphaerium nucleus (Studer, 1820) due to its having a different form of kidney, and the shell having a broad hinge plate, dense porosity and more tumid shells with broad umbones. Unlike S. corneum it has a preference for temporary habitats.3

Distribution

S. nucleus occurs widely in Europe, from Spain to Ukraine. It appears to be absent from Russia.1

Ecology

This species lives in standing freshwater habitats, specifically in swampy conditions in drainage ditches and occasionally in lake margins, including temporary lakes.1

References

References

  1. Killeen, I. & Seddon, M.B. (2011). "Sphaerium nucleus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011 e.T155874A4859030.
  2. Studer, S. 1820. Kurzes Verzeichniss der bis jetzt in unserm Vaterlande entdeckten Conchylien. - Naturwissenschaftlicher Anzeiger der Allgemeinen Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften 3 (11): 83–90, 91–94. Bern.
  3. Korniushin, A.V. 2001: Taxonomic revision of the genus Sphaerium s. l. in the Palaearctic region, with some notes on the North American species. Arch. Molluskenk. 129: 77–122.
  4. http://ipp.boku.ac.at/private/wf/Check_List_of_Austrian_Mollusca.html etzte Änderung am 24.10.2005. Cited March 24, 2007
  5. Anderson, R. 2005, An Annotated List of the Non-Marine Mollusca of Britain and Ireland, Journal of Conchology, London, 38: 607–638.
  6. Killeen, I.J., Aldridge, D.C. & Oliver, P.G., 2004. Freshwater bivalves of Britain and Ireland. Field Studies Occasional Publication 82. FSC Publications, Shrewsbury. 114pp.
  7. (in Czech) Horsák M., Juřičková L., Beran L., Čejka T. & Dvořák L. (2010). "Komentovaný seznam měkkýšů zjištěných ve volné přírodě České a Slovenské republiky. [Annotated list of mollusc species recorded outdoors in the Czech and Slovak Republics]". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca, Suppl. 1: 1–37. PDF.
  8. Kořínková T., 2006: The first reliable records of Sphaerium nucleus (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) in the Czech Republic. Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 69: 293-297. ISSN 1211-376X pdf
  9. Glöer P. & Meier-Brook C., 2003: Süsswassermollusken. DJN, pp. 134, page 109, ISBN 3-923376-02-2
  10. AnimalBase :: Sphaerium nucleus species homepage
  11. Košel V., 2006: The first record of Sphaerium nucleus (Bivalvia) in Slovakia. Biologia. Vol. 61, No. 5, page 524
  12. Pripyat Marshes of Ukraine, RGS 1998 Ralph Brown Expedition: report by Dr O.V. Korniushin http://www.minter.demon.co.uk/brown/results/korniush.htm
External links