Marshall, 1927
Original Description: Anodontites guanarensis Marshall, W.B. 1927. A new genus and two new species of South American fresh-water mussels. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 71(6):1-4 + 2 plates.
Type Locality: Dried lagoon, at Mata Verde, near Guanare, Portuguesa, Venezuela. Collected by, H. Pittier, 28 December 1925.
Holotype: USNM 365225.
Paratype: USNM 365226 (1).
Synonymy:
- Anodontites guanarensis Marshall, 1927
- Baker, 1930:68.
Anodontites (Anodontities) trigonus trigonus(Spix, 1827) (in part)
- Haas 1966:560.
Description: “Shell rather thin, somewhat compressed, outline nearly oval, rounded and narrower in front, bluntly pointed and subtruncate at the rear. Dorsal line nearly straight and making an obtuse angle with the posterior margin. Ventral line curved, slightly swollen just behind the middle, regularly rounding into the anterior margin, which in turn rounds into the dorsal margin. The ventral and dorsal margins form a blunt point just below the middle of the posterior margin. Posterior ridge low and regularly rounded, but emphasized by a broad fuscus stripe radiating from the beak; the posterior area with two similar but narrower fuscous rays. Anterior to the posterior ridge the periostracum is smoothish but with indistinct radiating striae. Anterior half of shell polished and with a number of radiating lines of ruffings. Posterior portion plentifully covered with low periostracal laminae. Microscopic sculpture of fine radinating straie commonly found in shells of the Mutelidae. Color ashy to brownish olive, the concentric growth lines darker; interior bluish white, highly iridescent around the margin and with iridescent radiating fine lines. Prismatic edging rather broad, pallial line about 5.6 millimeters from the margin.
The type, Cat. No. 365225, USNM., measures: Length 54 mm.; height, 30 mm.; diameter, 16 mm. It and a paratype, Cat. No. 365226, USNM., were presented by Dr. Henry Pittier, who collected them in a dried lagoon at Mata Verde, near Guanare, Portuguesa, Venezuela, December 28, 1925. This locality is in the northwestern part of Venezuela and is drained by the River Portuguesa, which like almost all streams in Venezuela, is part of the Orinoco system.
This species is realted to several other species but seems to stand in a section by itself. The slight swelling on the ventral margin indicates some relationship to the shells of the group A. trigonus Spix, while the radiating ruffings show a resemblance to those of A. tortilis Lea and others of that group. (Marshall, 1927:3-4).
Range: RANGE
Comments: This species may be synonymous with A. leotaudi from Trinidad.
Specimens Examined: INHS 13533 (?). Caño Salina, ~10 kn W Gusadualito, Apure, Venezuela. 6 January 1992. L.M. Page, B.M. Burr, et al. INHS 14810 (9). Caño Masparito, 1 km NW Libertad, Barinas, Venezuela. 14 January 1993. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14897 (36). trib. Rio Caipe, 6 km NE Torunos, at pipeline, Barinas, Venezuela. 3 January 1993. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14906 (3). Caño Hondo, Agua Negra, Barinas, Venezuela. 14 January 1993. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14868 (3). Caño el Sardinero, 14 km SE Guanare, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 1 January 1993. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14948 (2). Caño El Sardinero, 14 km SE Guanare, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 2 January 1994. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14915 (2). trib. Caño Maraca, 4 km N Guanarito, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 17 January 1993. L.M. Page. INHS 11427 (8). caño, 6 km from crossing in Morrones, SW of Guanarito, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 19 January 1986. K.S. Cummings, D.A. Carney & D.C. Taphorn. INHS 15937 (1). Caño Manzanare, between Puerto Animas & San Nicholas, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 1 January 1994. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer. INHS 14958 (73). Caño Cumarepo, ca. 4 km N Guanarito on rd. from Guanare to Guanarito, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 3 January 1994. K.S. Cummings. INHS 14928 (3). Caño Igues, La Capilla, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 3 January 1994. K.S. Cummings & G.B. Mottesi. INHS 13534 (6). Caño Maraca, on rd. from Guanare to Guanarito at 60 km marker, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 13 January 1992. L.M. Page, B.M. Burr, P.A. Ceas, L.G. Nico, C.A. Taylor, S. Walsh & K.O. Winemiller. INHS 14935 (1). Caño Maraca, on rd. from Guanare to Guanarito at 60 km marker, Portuguesa, Venezuela. 30 December 1993. K.S. Cummings & C.A. Mayer.