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NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD

Eastern Elliptio

Elliptio complanata ([Lightfoot], 1786)

Source-backed taxonomic record

Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.

Identity & source status

Scientific name
Elliptio complanata ([Lightfoot], 1786)
Name authority
([Lightfoot], 1786)
Common name
Eastern Elliptio
Rank
species
Accepted status
accepted
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Bivalvia
Genus
Elliptio
Extinction status
Not supplied by this source

Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

  1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
  2. kingdomAnimalia
  3. phylumMollusca
  4. classBivalvia Linnaeus, 1758
  5. subclassAutobranchia Grobben, 1894
  6. infraclassHeteroconchia J. E. Gray, 1854
  7. subterclassPalaeoheterodonta Newell, 1965
  8. subfamilyAmbleminae Rafinesque, 1820
  9. tribePleurobemini Hannibal, 1912
  10. genusElliptio Rafinesque, 1819
  11. speciesElliptio complanata ([Lightfoot], 1786)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Elliptio. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

SpeciesClassificationSource status
Southern lanceElliptio ahenea (I. Lea, 1843)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
box spikeElliptio cistellaeformis (I. Lea, 1863)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Carolina slabshellElliptio congaraea (I. Lea, 1831)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Satilla elephantearElliptio downiei (I. Lea, 1858)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
pod lanceElliptio folliculata (I. Lea, 1838)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
brother spikeElliptio fraterna (I. Lea, 1852)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
gulf slabshellElliptio fumata (I. Lea, 1857)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
variable spikeElliptio icterina (Conrad, 1834)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Florida spikeElliptio jayensis (I. Lea, 1838)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Cape Fear spikeElliptio marsupiobesa Fuller, 1972BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
St. Johns elephantearElliptio monroensis (I. Lea, 1843)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
hidden spikeElliptio occulta (I. Lea, 1843)BivalviaMolluscaAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Recorded nameSource status
Elliptio rostrum (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Margarita (Unio) griffithianus (I. Lea, 1834) (I. Lea, 1834)synonym
Margaritana decumbens (I. Lea, 1861) (I. Lea, 1861)synonym
Margaritifera decumbens (I. Lea, 1861) (I. Lea, 1861)synonym
Margaron (Unio) chathamensis (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Margaron (Unio) contractus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) curatus (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) fuliginosus (I. Lea, 1845) (I. Lea, 1845)synonym
Margaron (Unio) geminus (I. Lea, 1856) (I. Lea, 1856)synonym
Margaron (Unio) humerosus (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Margaron (Unio) mediocris (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) northamptonensis (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Margaron (Unio) nubilus (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Margaron (Unio) percoarctatus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) perlucens (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) postellii (I. Lea, 1858) (I. Lea, 1858)synonym
Margaron (Unio) raeensis (I. Lea, 1859) (I. Lea, 1859)synonym
Margaron (Unio) rostrum (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Margaron (Unio) savannahensis (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) subflavus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) subinflatus (Conrad, 1835) (Conrad, 1835)synonym
Margaron (Unio) uhareensis (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Mya rigidus W. Wood, 1828 W. Wood, 1828synonym
Elliptio complanatus jejunus (I. Lea, 1838) (I. Lea, 1838)synonym
Elliptio complanatus northamptonensis (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Elliptio complanatus quadrilaterus (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Elliptio violaceus cuvierianus (I. Lea, 1853) (I. Lea, 1853)synonym
Elliptio violaceus jejunus (I. Lea, 1838) (I. Lea, 1838)synonym
Elliptio violaceus subinflatus (Conrad, 1835) (Conrad, 1835)synonym
Unio (Elliptio) roanokensis northamptonensis I. Lea, 1862 I. Lea, 1862synonym
Unio complanatus mainensis Rich, 1915 Rich, 1915synonym
Unio pullatus majusculus De Gregorio, 1914 De Gregorio, 1914synonym
Elliptio violaceus (L. Spengler, 1793) (L. Spengler, 1793)synonym
Elliptio complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Margaron (Unio) weldonensis (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) purus (I. Lea, 1858) (I. Lea, 1858)synonym
Unio amplus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio abbevillensis I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio beaverensis I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Unio chathamensis I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio (Elliptio) burkensis I. Lea, 1859 I. Lea, 1859synonym
Unio coarctata Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio cirratus I. Lea, 1874 I. Lea, 1874synonym
Unio (Arconaia) provancheriana Pilsbry, 1890 Pilsbry, 1890synonym
Unio (Elliptio) cuvierianus I. Lea, 1852 I. Lea, 1852synonym
Unio (Elliptio) complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Unio (Elliptio) differtus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio (Elliptio) geminus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio uhareensis I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Unio tortuosus G. B. Sowerby II, 1868 G. B. Sowerby II, 1868synonym
Unio wheatleyi I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio virens I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio weldonensis I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio northamptonensis I. Lea, 1862 I. Lea, 1862synonym
Unio oblongus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio purpurascens Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio purus I. Lea, 1858 I. Lea, 1858synonym
Unio rarisulcata Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio subinflatus (Conrad, 1835) (Conrad, 1835)synonym
Unio subflavus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio rhombula Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio fluviatilis Green, 1827 Green, 1827synonym
Unio insulsus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio infuscus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio mediocris I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio mecklenbergensis I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio protensus I. Lea, 1865 I. Lea, 1865ambiguous synonym
Unio raeensis I. Lea, 1859 I. Lea, 1859synonym
Unio spadiceus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio squameus I. Lea, 1862 I. Lea, 1862synonym
Unio fuliginosus I. Lea, 1845 I. Lea, 1845synonym
Unio gastonensis I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio glabrata Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio irwinensis I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio griffithianus I. Lea, 1834 I. Lea, 1834synonym
Unio infulgens I. Lea, 1874 I. Lea, 1874synonym
Unio indefinilus I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio humerosus I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868ambiguous synonym
Unio complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Unio curatus I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio decumbens I. Lea, 1861 I. Lea, 1861synonym
Unio dissimilis I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio differtus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Elliptio complanatus complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Unio complanatus subinflatus Conrad, 1835 Conrad, 1835synonym
Unio roanokoides I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Margaron (Unio) errans (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Unio (Elliptio) errans I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Elliptio (Elliptio) complanatus ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Elliptio errans (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Elliptio geminus (I. Lea, 1856) (I. Lea, 1856)synonym
Elliptio nubilus (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Elliptio spadiceus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Elliptio subinflatus (Conrad, 1835) (Conrad, 1835)synonym
Margarita (Unio) complanata ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Margarita (Unio) jejunus (I. Lea, 1838) (I. Lea, 1838)synonym
Margarita (Unio) paliatus I. Lea, 1836 I. Lea, 1836synonym
Margaron (Unio) abbevillensis (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) aberrans (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) catawbensis (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) cuvierianus (I. Lea, 1853) (I. Lea, 1853)synonym
Margaron (Unio) datus (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Margaron (Unio) decumbens (I. Lea, 1861) (I. Lea, 1861)synonym
Margaron (Unio) exactus (I. Lea, 1858) (I. Lea, 1858)synonym
Margaron (Unio) gastonensis (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) griffithianus (I. Lea, 1834) (I. Lea, 1834)synonym
Margaron (Unio) indefinitus (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) insulsus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) jejunus (I. Lea, 1838) (I. Lea, 1838)synonym
Margaron (Unio) mecklenbergensis (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) neusensis (I. Lea, 1858) (I. Lea, 1858)synonym
Margaron (Unio) paliatus (I. Lea, 1836) (I. Lea, 1836)synonym
Margaron (Unio) protensus (I. Lea, 1865) (I. Lea, 1865)synonym
Margaron (Unio) quadrilaterus (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) raleighensis (I. Lea, 1863) (I. Lea, 1863)synonym
Margaron (Unio) spadiceus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) squameus (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Margaron (Unio) vicinus (I. Lea, 1856) (I. Lea, 1856)synonym
Margaron (Anodonta) virens (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Mya complanata [Lightfoot], 1786 [Lightfoot], 1786synonym
Elliptio complanata complanata ([Lightfoot], 1786) ([Lightfoot], 1786)synonym
Elliptio complanatus catawbensis (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Elliptio complanatus cuvierianus (I. Lea, 1853) (I. Lea, 1853)synonym
Elliptio complanatus subinflatus (Conrad, 1835) (Conrad, 1835)synonym
Elliptio violaceus northamptonensis (I. Lea, 1862) (I. Lea, 1862)synonym
Elliptio violaceus wheatleyi (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Unio (Elliptio) complanatus jejunus I. Lea, 1838 I. Lea, 1838synonym
Unio (Elliptio) complanatus quadrilaterus I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Elliptio insulsus (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) burkensis (I. Lea, 1859) (I. Lea, 1859)synonym
Margaron (Unio) baldwinensis (I. Lea, 1859) (I. Lea, 1859)synonym
Margaron (Unio) virens (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym
Margaron (Unio) beaverensis (I. Lea, 1868) (I. Lea, 1868)synonym
Unio aberrans I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio baldwinensis I. Lea, 1859 I. Lea, 1859synonym
Unio carinifera Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio (Elliptio) catawbensis I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio (Elliptio) rostrum I. Lea, 1862 I. Lea, 1862synonym
Unio (Elliptio) subinflatus Conrad, 1835 Conrad, 1835synonym
Unio catawbensis I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio burkensis I. Lea, 1859 I. Lea, 1859synonym
Unio (Elliptio) aurata Rafinesque, 1820 Rafinesque, 1820synonym
Unio (Elliptio) purus I. Lea, 1858 I. Lea, 1858synonym
Unio (Elliptio) spadiceus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio (Elliptio) insulsus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio subsquamosus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio sulcidens Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio vicinus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857ambiguous synonym
Unio yadkinensis I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio violaceus L. Spengler, 1793 L. Spengler, 1793synonym
Unio virginiana Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio neusensis I. Lea, 1858 I. Lea, 1858synonym
Unio nubilus I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Unio purpureus Say, 1817 Say, 1817synonym
Unio ratus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio quadrilaterus I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio postellii I. Lea, 1858 I. Lea, 1858synonym
Unio subolivaceus I. Lea, 1874 I. Lea, 1874synonym
Unio rostrum I. Lea, 1862 I. Lea, 1862synonym
Unio jejunus I. Lea, 1838 I. Lea, 1838synonym
Unio ligatus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio raleighensis I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio percoarctatus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio perlucens I. Lea, 1863 I. Lea, 1863synonym
Unio subparallelus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872ambiguous synonym
Unio santeensis I. Lea, 1871 I. Lea, 1871synonym
Unio savannahensis I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio geminus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio georgina Lamarck, 1819 Lamarck, 1819synonym
Unio exactus I. Lea, 1858 I. Lea, 1858synonym
Unio cuvierianus I. Lea, 1852 I. Lea, 1852synonym
Unio curvatus I. Lea, 1872 I. Lea, 1872synonym
Unio datus I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Unio contractus I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio humerosoides I. Lea, 1868 I. Lea, 1868synonym
Unio errans I. Lea, 1857 I. Lea, 1857synonym
Unio indefinitus "I. Lea, 1866" "I. Lea, 1866"synonym
Unio indefinitus F. Haas, 1969 F. Haas, 1969synonym
Elliptio complanata wheatleyi (I. Lea, 1857) (I. Lea, 1857)synonym

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

  1. https://www.molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=160340 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:39BJ9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.