''Simpsonaias ambigua'', the salamander mussel or mudpuppy mussel, is a species of

bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...

in the family

Unionidae The Unionidae are a Family (biology), family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids. The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is a ...

. It is unique among freshwater mussels in using

mudpuppies ''Necturus'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders in the family Proteidae. Species of the genus are native to the eastern United States and Canada. They are commonly known as waterdogs and mudpuppies. The common mudpuppy ''(N. maculosus)'' is pr ...

as its glochidial host. It is the only freshwater mussel known to have a non-fish host.

Distribution and conservation status

The mussel is native to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. The Canadian

Species at Risk Act The ''Species at Risk Act'' (, SARA) is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. T ...

listed the Salamander mussel in the

List of Wildlife Species at Risk As of November 2024, the List of Wildlife Species at Risk has more than 600 entries for Canadian wildlife species considered at varying risks of extinction, including 301 classified as endangered species, 147 threatened species, 200 special conc ...

as being endangered in Canada.COSEWIC. 2005
Canadian Species at Risk
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 64 pp., page 13.

References

Unionidae Molluscs of the United States Molluscs of Canada Bivalves described in 1825 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Unionidae-stub