Biological taxonomy is a hypothesis regarding the evolutionary relationships of populations. Thus there is never a “correct” scientific name for any organism, although at any point in time there may a preferred name, and a series of names that have lost favor with the advance of science. Older, cast-off names become “synonyms.” A proliferation of synonyms is a healthy indicator of an active research interest in a group of organisms.
Synonyms may also be viewed negatively, however, as an impediment to governmental regulation. For this reason, natural resource agencies generally favor standardized taxonomies, such as that offered for mollusks by Turgeon and colleagues (1998). Although well meaning, efforts at taxonomic standardization are science-killers, and cannot be condoned.
Note in the following table that some taxa listed as synonyms in North America remain valid on other continents. Although Ancylus remains the preferred genus for the European Ancylus fluviatilis, for example, here in America all the species previously referred to Ancylus have been transferred to Ferrissia.
Genus | Species | FWGNA Taxonomy |
---|---|---|
Amnicola | grana | see Lyogyrus granum |
Amnicola | limosa | |
Amnicola | lustrica | see Marstonia lustrica |
Anculosa | see Leptoxis | |
Ancylus | see Ferrissia | |
Angitrema | see Lithasia | |
Antroselates | spiralis | |
Aplexa | elongata | see A. hypnorum |
Aplexa | hypnorum | |
Athearnia | anthonyi | see Leptoxis crassa |
Australorbis | see Biomphalaria | |
Bellamya | chinensis | |
Bellamya | japonica | |
Bellamya | malleata | see B. chinensis |
Biomphalaria | havanensis | |
Biomphalaria | obstructa | see B. havanensis |
Birgella | subglobosa | |
Bithynia | tentaculata | |
Bythinella | see Probythinella | |
Campeloma | crassulum | see C. decisum crassulum |
Campeloma | decisum decisum | |
Campeloma | decisum crassulum | |
Campeloma | geniculatum | see C. decisum |
Campeloma | integra | see C. decisum |
Campeloma | limosa | see C. decisum |
Campeloma | limum | see C. decisum |
Campeloma | rufum | see C. decisum |
Cincinnatia | cincinnatiensis | see C. integra |
Cincinnatia | integra | |
Cincinnatia | sp. (Waccamaw) | see Floridobia |
Cipangopaludina | see Bellamya | |
Clappia | clappi | see C. umbilicata |
Clappia | umbilicata | |
Elimia | see Pleurocera | |
Ferrissia | californica | see F. fragilis |
Ferrissia | fragilis | |
Ferrissia | hendersoni | see F. fragilis |
Ferrissia | mcneilli | see F. fragilis |
Ferrissia | meekiana | see F. fragilis |
Ferrissia | parallelus | see F. rivularis |
Ferrissia | walkeri | see F. fragilis |
Ferrissia | rivularis | |
Floridobia | floridana | |
Floridobia | sp, Ogeechee | |
Floridobia | sp, Waccamaw | |
Fontigens | bottimeri | |
Fontigens | cryptica | |
Fontigens | morrisoni | |
Fontigens | nickliniana | |
Fontigens | orolibas | |
Fontigens | tartarea | |
Fontigens | turritella | |
Fossaria | see Lymnaea | |
Galba | see Lymnaea | |
Gillia | altilis | |
Goniobasis | see Pleurocera | |
Gundlachia | see Ferrissia | |
Gyraulus | circumstriatus | |
Gyraulus | deflectus | |
Gyraulus | hirsutus | see G. deflectus |
Gyraulus | parvus | |
Haitia | see Physa | |
Hebetancylus | excentricus | |
Helisoma | anceps | |
Helisoma | campanulatum | |
Helisoma | eucosmium | |
Helisoma | magnifica | |
Helisoma | pilsbryi | see H. trivolvis |
Helisoma | trivolvis | |
Holsingeria | unthanksensis | |
Hydrobia | jenkinsi | see P. antipodarium |
Io | fluviatilis | |
Laevapex | diaphanus | see L. fuscus |
Laevapex | fuscus | |
Laevapex | peninsulae | see L. fuscus |
Leptoxis | anthonyi | see L. crassa |
Leptoxis | carinata | |
Leptoxis | crassa | |
Leptoxis | dilatata | see L. carinata |
Leptoxis | nickliniana | see L. carinata |
Leptoxis | praerosa | |
Leptoxis | subglobosa | see L. praerosa |
Leptoxis | virgata | see L. carinata |
Lioplax | subcarinata | |
Lithasia | fuliginosa | see L. geniculata fuliginosa |
Lithasia | geniculata fuliginosa | |
Lithasia | geniculata geniculata | |
Lithasia | geniculata pinguis | |
Lithasia | lima | see L. verrucosa |
Lithasia | obovata | see P. semicarinata obovata |
Lithasia | pinguis | see L. geniculata pinguis |
Lithasia | salebrosa | see L. verrucosa |
Lithasia | verrucosa | |
Littorinidops | tenuipes | |
Lymnaea | catascopium | |
Lymnaea | caperata | |
Lymnaea | columella | |
Lymnaea | cubensis | |
Lymnaea | dalli | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | elodes | |
Lymnaea | emarginata | see L. catascopium |
Lymnaea | exigua | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | exilis | see L. elodes |
Lymnaea | humilis | |
Lymnaea | modicella | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | obrussa | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | parva | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | reflexa | see L. elodes |
Lymnaea | rustica | see L. humilis |
Lymnaea | stagnalis | |
Lyogyrus | granum | |
Lyogyrus | latus | |
Lyogyrus | pupoideus | see L. granum |
Lyogyrus | retromargo | see L. granum |
Lyogyrus | walkeri | see L. granum |
Marstonia | agarhecta | |
Marstonia | arga | |
Marstonia | decepta | see M. lustrica |
Marstonia | gaddisorum | |
Marstonia | halcyon | |
Marstonia | letsoni | |
Marstonia | lustrica | |
Marstonia | ogmorhaphe ("ogmorphaphe") | |
Marstonia | perlustrica | see M. lustrica |
Marstonia | scalariformis | |
Melanoides | tuberculata | |
Menetus | alabamensis | see M. dilatatus |
Menetus | brogniartianus | see M. dilatatus |
Menetus | dilatatus | |
Menetus | exacuous | see Promenetus exacuous |
Micromenetus | see Menetus | |
Mudalia | see Leptoxis | |
Nitocris | see Leptoxis | |
Notogillia | sathon | |
Oxytrema | see Pleurocera | |
Paludina | see Viviparus | |
Physa | acuta | |
Physa | ancillaria | see P. gyrina |
Physa | aurea | see P. gyrina |
Physa | carolinae | |
Physa | cubensis | see P. acuta |
Physa | gyrina | |
Physa | hendersoni | see P. pomilia |
Physa | heterostropha | see P. acuta |
Physa | heterostropha pomilia | see P. pomilia |
Physa | integra | see P. acuta |
Physa | pomilia | |
Physa | sayii | see P. gyrina |
Physa | species A | see P. carolinae |
Physa | vernalis | |
Physella | see Physa | |
Physodon | see Physa | |
Planorbella | see Helisoma | |
Planorbula | armigera | |
Planorbula | jenksii | see P. armigera |
Pleurocera | acuta | see P. canaliculata acuta |
Pleurocera | acutocarinata | see P.clavaeformis clavaeformis |
Pleurocera | albanyensis | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | alveare | see P. laqueata alveare |
Pleurocera | arachnoidea ("arachnoides") | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | aterina | see P. simplex |
Pleurocera | boykiniana | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | caelatura | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | canaliculata | see P.canaliculata canaliculata |
Pleurocera | canaliculata acuta | |
Pleurocera | canaliculata canaliculata | |
Pleurocera | canaliculata pyrenellum | |
Pleurocera | caternaria | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | catenaria catenaria | |
Pleurocera | catenaria dislocata | |
Pleurocera | christyi | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | clavaeformis | see P.clavaeformis clavaeformis |
Pleurocera | clavaeformis clavaeformis | |
Pleurocera | clavaeformis unciale | |
Pleurocera | costulata | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | curryana | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | curryana lyoni | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | curtum (curta) | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | darwini | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | dislocata | see P. catenaria dislocata |
Pleurocera | ebenum | see P. simplex ebenum |
Pleurocera | floridensis timidus | |
Pleurocera | gabbiana | |
Pleurocera | georgiana | see P. modesta |
Pleurocera | gerhardtii | see P. modesta |
Pleurocera | glarea | see P. floridensis timidus |
Pleurocera | gradatum | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | hastatum | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | induta | see P. floridensis timidus |
Pleurocera | interrupta | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | laqueata alveare | |
Pleurocera | laqueata laqueata | |
Pleurocera | lecontiana | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | livescens | see P. semicarinata livescens |
Pleurocera | lyoni (lyonii) | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | modesta | |
Pleurocera | mutabilis mutabilis | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | mutabilis timidus | see P. floridensis timidus |
Pleurocera | nobile | see P.canaliculata canaliculata |
Pleurocera | parvum | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | plicata-striata | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | porrecta | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | postelli | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | proxima | |
Pleurocera | pyrenellum | see P. canaliculata pyrenellum |
Pleurocera | rubella | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | semicarinata livescens | |
Pleurocera | semicarinata obovata | |
Pleurocera | semicarinata semicarinata | |
Pleurocera | shenandoa | |
Pleurocera | simplex ebenum | |
Pleurocera | simplex simplex | |
Pleurocera | simplex, "skinny form" | see P. gabbiana |
Pleurocera | spinella | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | striatula | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | strigosa | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | suturalis | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | symmetrica | see P. proxima |
Pleurocera | teres | see P. troostiana |
Pleurocera | timida exul | see P. floridensis timidus |
Pleurocera | timida timida | see P. floridensis timidus |
Pleurocera | trochiformis | see P. canaliculata pyrenellum |
Pleurocera | troostiana | |
Pleurocera | unciale ("uncialis") | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | viennaensis | see P. catenaria catenaria |
Pleurocera | virginica | |
Pleurocera | viridulum | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pleurocera | walkeri | see P. clavaeformis unciale |
Pomacea | insularum | see P. maculata |
Pomacea | maculata | |
Pomacea | paludosa | |
Pomatiopsis | cincinnatiensis | |
Pomatiopsis | hinkleyi | see P. lapidaria |
Pomatiopsis | lapidaria | |
Pomatiopsis | praelonga | see P. lapidaria |
Potamopyrgus | antipodarum | |
Potamopyrgus | jenkinsi | see P. antipodarum |
Probythinella | emarginata | |
Probythinella | lacustris | see P. emarginata |
Promenetus | exacuous | |
Pseudosuccinea | see Lymnaea | |
Pyrgophorus | parvulus | |
Pyrgulopsis | see Marstonia (mostly) | |
Rhodacmea | eliator | see R. filosa |
Rhodacmea | filosa | |
Rhodacmea | hinkleyi | see R. filosa |
Segmentina | see Planorbula | |
Somatogyrus | alcoviensis | see S. virginicus |
Somatogyrus | depressus | see S. integra |
Somatogyrus | georgianus | see S. virginicus |
Somatogyrus | integra | |
Somatogyrus | parvulus | |
Somatogyrus | pennsylvanicus | |
Somatogyrus | rheophilus | see S. virginicus |
Somatogyrus | tenax | see S. virginicus |
Somatogyrus | trothis | see S. integra |
Somatogyrus | virginicus | |
Spilochlamys | turgida | |
Spirodon | see Leptoxis | |
Stagnicola | see Lymnaea | |
Taphius | see Biomphalaria | |
Torquis | see Gyraulus | |
Valvata | bicarinata | |
Valvata | tricarinata | |
Viviparus | georgianus | |
Viviparus | intertextus | |
Viviparus | subpurpureus |