Freshwater Mussels of Central America

This book describes a fauna of global conservation concern and provides a framework for researchers to begin to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of freshwater mussels in Central America. Placing the Central American fauna in context with that of North and South America, the authors fill a gap in our knowledge of this endangered and largely endemic fauna. This book:

• Provides a full-color treatment of all 81 native and introduced freshwater mussel species found from the Río Grande in Texas, USA, and México to Colombia, South America
• Includes 110 distribution maps of all species
• Presents complete synonymies in every systematic species account
• Offers historical information and bios of previous workers in the field
• Cites complete literature and references on freshwater mussels in the region

Through photographs, distribution maps, and a complete list of species described and reported from Central America, Freshwater Mussels of Central America will inspire researchers to begin filling in the gaps regarding the systematics and ecology of freshwater mussels in Central America. It will be an essential source for conservationists, aquatic biologists, and those interested in the natural history of temperate and tropical freshwater ecosystems.

Kevin S. Cummings was born and raised in Chicago and is a lifelong resident of Illinois. He obtained B.S. and M.A. degrees in Zoology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and was employed as a Research Scientist and Curator of Mollusks at the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for 38 years. He is also a Research Associate at the Field Museum in Chicago, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia.

He has conducted research in the conservation, systematics, and ecology of freshwater mollusks, as well as the protection of freshwater habitats, primarily streams. He has conducted fieldwork on mollusks around the world including the Amazon, Orinoco, and Xingu rivers of South America; the Zambezi and Congo rivers in Africa; and the Mighty Mississippi River in North America. His recent research has centered around the global diversity of freshwater mussels, particularly in Central and South America.

He was a Past President of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society and received the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2015. He also received the Illinois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, the Stephen A. Forbes Excellence in Fisheries Award in 2008, and the Outstanding Public Service Award from Prairie Rivers Network in 2013. He has served on various state, federal, and professional society committees on the conservation of freshwater mollusks including the Illinois Endangered Species Technical Advisory Committee on Invertebrates, the American Fisheries Society, Endangered Species Committee, Endangered Freshwater Mussels Subcommittee, the American Malacological Society Conservation Committee, the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

after completing his B.S. from the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), Minnesota, studied Invertebrate Zoology while earning M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Northeastern University in Boston and the University of Michigan, respectively. He was hired as Assistant Curator of Malacology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and then as Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa). He currently holds the title of Professor of Aquatic Invertebrate Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

The common throughlines of Prof. Graf’s research have been using natural history collections and applying the methods of biodiversity informatics to address questions about the origin and maintenance of freshwater molluscan diversity. He is a member of the American Malacological Society and the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society.

was born in Detroit and grew up in Oakland County, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University, a master’s degree from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Currently, he serves as a Research Zoologist and Curator of Bivalves at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. His research uses genomics, biodiversity informatics, and natural history collections to explore the evolution, ecology, and conservation of freshwater mussels. His fieldwork specializes in collecting elusive and enigmatic freshwater mussels, and he has been chasing "Unicorns" in Thailand, Cambodia, Borneo, Sumatra, Costa Rica, and Panama. He lives in Maryland with his partner, Cassi, and their three children—Cypress, Clover, and Brightly. Outside of work, he enjoys camping, fly fishing, and mayonnaise.

is a Kansas native. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Kansas and his Master of Science from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. He has been employed as an Associate Aquatic Ecologist for the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign since 2002. His research interests include documenting basic natural history information of non-game fishes and freshwater mollusks, addressing the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on stream ecosystems, and restoring stream habitats and aquatic faunas. He has collaborated on research projects in North America, Central America, South America, and Africa.

Jeremy has served on various state, federal, and professional society committees on the conservation of fishes and freshwater mollusks, including the Illinois Endangered Species Technical Advisory Committee on both fishes and aquatic invertebrates, the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Black Carp work group, the American Fisheries Society’s Endangered Species Committee—Aquatic Gastropods Subcommittee, and the American Fisheries Society’s Aquatic Invasive Species Policy work group. He is also a Past President of both the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society and the Illinois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.