New Zealand Recent Hyriidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida)

Abstract

The New Zealand freshwater mussels are taxonomically revised and compared with key Australian and South American taxa using DNA sequence data. Three living species are recognised: Echyridella menziesii, Echyridella aucklandica and Echyridella onekaka. Cucumerunio websteri websteri and Cucumerunio websteri delli, are treated as junior synonyms of Unio aucklandica, which is transferred from Cucumerunio (and Hyridella) to Echyridella. Lectotypes are designated for Unio waikarensis and Unio hochstetteri, which are illustrated together with primary type specimens of other relevant taxa. The type locality of U. aucklandica is restricted to the catchment of the Kawakawa River.

Keywords:

• freshwater
• biogeography
• gene sequences
• COI
• Echyridella
• Cucumerunio
• Hyridella
• type material
• type localities
• lectotypes
• Xenochironomus canterburyensis

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a New Zealand Department of Conservation grant (WE/03/05) to M.C.F., thanks to Nadine Bott for project advice and help with permits. For advice on historical collection sites and permission to collect we thank Sam Jackson, Liz Mellish and Mark Te One from the Wellington Tenths Trust. For loan of type material we thank Frank Köhler and Matthias Glaubrecht (Zoological Museum, Berlin), Alison Miller and Ian Loch (Australian Museum, Sydney), Paul Greenhall and Jerry Harasewych (National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC), and Jon Ablett and Kathie Way (The Natural History Museum, London), who sought and provided detailed information on the type material of Unio aucklandica and U. menziesii. We are grateful to Hugh Jones (New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, Parramatta) for specimens of Australian hyriids for sequencing, Todd Landers (Auckland Institute and Museum) for historical information on material in the Auckland Museum, and to Phil Parkinson (Wellington) for checking period literature for the reputed place name ‘Amabrusa’. For assistance in the field, we thank Kevin Burch (Whangarei), Kate Clark (Carterton), Steve O'Shea (Auckland), Peter Poortman (Auckland) and Carl Struthers (Museum of New Zealand), Norman Heke and Jean-Claude Stahl for in-house photography, Arne Pallentin and Kevin Mackay (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington), and Raymond Coory for assistance with illustration technology. Illustrations of type material of U. menziesii, U. lutulentus, U. hochstetteri, D. websteri and C. websteri delli were kindly provided by the custodial institutions. We are grateful for the comments of two anonymous referees.