# Pyganodon cataracta

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Species of bivalve

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Pyganodon cataracta The pearly interior of a valve of Pyganodon cataracta at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Secure (NatureServe)[2] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Bivalvia Order: Unionida Family: Unionidae Genus: Pyganodon Species: P. cataracta Binomial name Pyganodon cataracta (Say, 1817) Synonyms[3] List Anodonta cataracta Say, 1817 Anodonta cataracta subsp. cataracta Say, 1817 Anodonta cataracta subsp. marginata Say, 1817 Anodonta marginata Say, 1817 Anodonta atra Rafinesque, 1820 Anodonta cuneata Rafinesque, 1820 Anodonta digonota Rafinesque, 1831 Anodonta teres Conrad, 1834 Anodonta excurvata DeKay, 1843 Anodonta virgulata Lea, 1857 Anodonta dariensis Lea, 1858 Anodonta williamsii Lea, 1862 Anodonta tryonii Lea, 1862 Anodonta doliaris Lea, 1863 Pyganodon marginata (Say, 1817)

***Pyganodon cataracta***, formerly ***Anodonta cataracta***, is a [species](/source/Species) of large [freshwater mussel](/source/Freshwater_mussel), an [aquatic](/source/Aquatic_animal) [bivalve](/source/Bivalve) [mollusc](/source/Mollusc) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Unionidae](/source/Unionidae), the river mussels. Its common name is the **eastern floater**.

## Subspecies

- *Pyganodon cataracta* subsp. *cataracta*

- *Pyganodon cataracta* subsp. *marginata*

## Description

*Pyganodon cataracta* can reach a size of 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9 in).

## Distribution and habitat

This [mussel](/source/Mussel) is present in freshwater habitats along the [Atlantic](/source/Atlantic) coast of North America, ranging from Alabama to some parts of [Canada](/source/Canada). It is typically found in soft-bottomed ponds, rivers and small lakes.

## Taxonomy

Like many other of its relatives, the eastern floater was thought to be in the genus *[Anodonta](/source/Anodonta)*, but was since moved to other genera such as *[Pyganodon](/source/Pyganodon)*, *[Utterbackia](/source/Utterbackia)*, and more.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Cummings, K. & Cordeiro, J. (2012). ["*Pyganodon cataracta*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/189007/1917221). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2012** e.T189007A1917221. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T189007A1917221.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T189007A1917221.en). Retrieved 6 August 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NS_2-0)** [NatureServe](/source/NatureServe). ["*Pyganodon cataracta*"](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.109938/). *NatureServe Explorer*. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 30 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["*Pyganodon cataracta* (Say, 1817)"](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=568176). [Integrated Taxonomic Information System](/source/Integrated_Taxonomic_Information_System). Retrieved 6 August 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [https://www.molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1351487](https://www.molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1351487)

- Richard A. Tankersley - [Larval Brooding by the Freshwater Unionid Mussel Anodonta Cataracta](https://books.google.com/books/about/Larval_Brooding_by_the_Freshwater_Unioni.html?id=jXTxtgAACAAJ) - Wake Forest University. Department of Biology, 1992

- [The Freshwater Mussels (Unionoida) of the World](http://mussel-project.uwsp.edu/db/db.php?p=tax&l=sppop&n=4376)

- [Catalogue of Life](http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/search/all/key/anodonta+cataracta/match/1)

Taxon identifiers Pyganodon cataracta Wikidata: Q3788168 BOLD: 104808 CoL: 4QNGC GBIF: 2287955 iNaturalist: 151716 IRMNG: 11324908 ITIS: 568176 IUCN: 189007 NatureServe: 2.109938 NCBI: 55827 Open Tree of Life: 7493232 SeaLifeBase: 46924 WoRMS: 571968 Anodonta cataracta Wikidata: Q3799651 CoL: 7Q4W2 EoL: 449652 GBIF: 2287939 IRMNG: 11002352 ITIS: 79932 Open Tree of Life: 2851603 WoRMS: 593325

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pyganodon cataracta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyganodon_cataracta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyganodon_cataracta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.