The umbos are shifted posteriorly. "This species is one of the most variable among Australian sphaeriids. Variability of the shell shape, position of the umbo and the shape of the nephridium (to a lesser extent) shows clear geographical pattern" (Korniushin, 2000).
Sphaerium (Sphaerinova) tasmanicum tasmanicum (Tenison Woods, 1876)
Common name: Pea shell, pea clam, pill clam
Class Bivalvia
Infraclass Heteroconchia
Cohort Heterodonta
Megaorder Neoheterodontei
Order Sphaeriida
Superfamily Sphaerioidea
Family Sphaeriidae
Subfamily Sphaeriinae
Genus Sphaerium Scopoli, 1777
Type species: Tellina cornea Linnaeus, 1758. Europe.
Subgenus Sphaerinova Iredale, 1943
Original name: Cyclas tasmanica Tenison Woods, 1876. In Tenison Woods J. F. (1876). On the freshwater shells. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1875: 66 - 82.
Type locality: Swansea, east coast of Tasmania.
Synonyms: Sphaerium translucidum Sowerby in Reeve, 1876; Sphaerium macgillivrayi E.A. Smith, 1883; Sphaerinova victoriana Iredale 1943; S. nundialis Iredale, 1943; S. terenda Iredale, 1943; Australpera bradena Iredale, 1943.
Shallow burrower in sand/mud and amongst roots in slow flowing or still water, in creeks, ponds, lakes and swamps. Suspension and deposit feeder. Larvae brooded.
Southern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.
Korniushin, A. V. (2000). Review of the family Sphaeriidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) of Australia, with the description of four new species. Records of the Australian Museum 52: 41-102.
Kuiper, J. G. J. (1983). The Sphaeriidae of Australia. Basteria 47: 3-52.
Lee, T. (2019). Sphaeriidae Deshayes, 1855 (1820). Pp. 197-201 in C. Lydeard & Cummings, K. S. Freshwater Mollusks of the World: a Distribution Atlas. Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press.
Lee, T. & Ó Foighil, D. (2003). Phylogenetic structure of the Sphaeriinae, a global clade of freshwater bivalve molluscs, inferred from nuclear (ITS-1) and mitochondrial (16S) ribosomal gene sequences. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137: 245-260.
Shea, M. (1995). Freshwater molluscs of Sydney. Australian Shell News 88: 4-6.
Smith, B. J. & Kershaw, R. C. (1979). Field guide to the non-marine Molluscs of South-eastern Australia. Canberra, A.N.U. Press.
Smith, B. J. & Kershaw, R. C. (1981). Tasmanian Land and Freshwater Molluscs. Hobart, University of Tasmania.
