Margaritifera marrianae is the third in a series of three freshwater mussels named by our friend, the late Richird I. Johnson, for the women in his life.
The first was Haasodonta fannyae, named for his college sweetheart in 1948. H. fannyae was Mussel of the Month almost 20 years ago in November 2004. Back then we didn’t know very much about the species or the genus — other than its interesting biogeography as a unionid on the hyriid side of Wallace’s line, and we don’t know much more now.
Utterbackia peggyae, was named for RIJ’s first wife, Marjory (Peggy), the year they married in 1965.
Our current Mussel of the Month, Margaritifera marrianae, was named for Mr. Johnson’s second wife, Marrian. This species was also described the year its namesake became Mrs. Johnson, 1983.
Some other time, we will take up the series of Mr. Johnson’s malacologist-portmanteau species: Parvaspina steinstansana, Lampsilis fullerkati (= Lampsilis radiata), and Potamilus metnecktayi, named for Carol Stein, David Stansbery, Samuel L. H. Fuller, Pieter Kat, Artie Metcalf, Raymond Neck, and Dwight Taylor. |
