Ferrissia fragilis

This species is common in North America from Florida and Texas to southern Canada (Burch 1989). It was also recently shown to have a wide introduced distribution across Europe (previously under a variety of synonymous names, including Acroloxus lacustris, Ferrissia shimekii, Ferrissia wautieri) to a point where it is nearly cosmopolitan (Walther et al. 2006).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) This species is common in North America from Florida and Texas to southern Canada (Burch, 1989). It has also been shown recently to have been widely introduced across Europe (previously under a variety of synonymous names (including Acroloxus lacustris, Ferrissia shimekii, Ferrissia wautieri) to a point where it is nearly cosmopolitan (Walther et al., 2006).

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Freshwater

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: Although it can occur in rivers, it is more commonly found on macrophytes and organic debris in lentic environments (McMahon, 1976; Jokinen, 1978).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300

Comments: Basch (1963) notes it is very widely distributed with a septate form known from California, Texas, Michigan, New York, and other areas. In Indiana, Pyron et al. (2008) found it in three streams (Clear Creek in Huntington Co., Coal Creek in Fountan Co. and the Tippecanoe River in Kosciusko Co.) of 123 sites surveyed compared to historical ocations in Clear Lake and a pond in La Porte Co. (Goodrich and van der Schalie, 1944). It is fairly common in New York (Jokinen, 1992). In Pennsylvania, it occurs in the Delaware and Ohio basins (Evans and Ray, 2010). It has not been observed in Iowa since 1912 (Stewart, 2006). In Alabama, it is common and presumably found throughout Alabama (Mirarchi, 2004). Branson (1966) documented Spring River in Missouri and Kansas. In Missouri, Wu et al. (1997) list Holt Co. near the Missouri River and Perry Co. near the Mississippi River with the septate form collected only from Stoddard Co. in the Lowland Region. Branson and Batch (1987) documented it in Kentucky in a spring seep in Harlan Co. and the Salt River in Mercer Co. and previous locations in Jefferson and Madison Cos. Blair and Sickel (1986) documented it in 1 of 44 sites (pool in Lost Creek, Tennessee) surveyed in Land Between the Lakes (national recreation area between Cumberland River (Lake Berkeley) and Tennessee River (Kentucky Lake)) in Kentucky and Tennessee. Dozens of occurrences are known from Atlantic Georgia (Dillon et al., 2003), South Carolina (Dillon and Stewart, 2003) and North Carolina (Dillon et al., 2003) in the Piedmont, Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plains including Lake Waccamaw, Neuse River, Singletary Lake, and Carteret and Guilford Cos., North Carolina (Dawley, 1965). Shostak (pers. comm., in Lepitzki, 2001) found 2 specimens at Mariana Lake, between Lac La Biche and Fort McMurray, Alberta, in 1990.

>1,000,000 individuals

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: This species is common in North America from Florida and Texas to southern Canada (Burch, 1989). It has also been shown recently to have been widely introduced across Europe (previously under a variety of synonymous names (including Acroloxus lacustris, Ferrissia shimekii, Ferrissia wautieri) to a point where it is nearly cosmopolitan (Walther et al., 2006). This species has a wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, tolerance to habitat modification, lack of substantial immediate threats, and because it is not in decline or is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Not intrinsically vulnerable

Environmental Specificity: Broad. Generalist or community with all key requirements common.

Population

Population Trend

Global Short Term Trend: Increase of 10 to >25%

Global Long Term Trend: Increase of >25%

Degree of Threat: Low

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

Global Protection: Unknown whether any occurrences are appropriately protected and managed