1, 5-6. Apalachicola River, Gadsden Co., FL - 75, 70, 41 mm
2. Little River, Gadsden Co., FL - 57 mm
3. Lake Talquin, Leon Co., FL - 55 mm
4. Ochlockonee River, Leon Co., FL - 54 mm
Elliptio aquila (Lea, 1857)
1, 5-6. Apalachicola River, Gadsden Co., FL - 75, 70, 41 mm
2. Little River, Gadsden Co., FL - 57 mm
3. Lake Talquin, Leon Co., FL - 55 mm
4. Ochlockonee River, Leon Co., FL - 54 mm
Type locality: Flint River, Macon, Georgia.
Range: Apalachicola and Ochlockonee River systems.
Remarks: This is a distinctive species occupying a narrow range -- unfortunately right in the middle of the range of jayana. Jayana is very similar, but does not occur in the Apalachicola or Ochlockonee Rivers, but on either side in the Savannah, St Marys, Oklawaha, Chipola, Suwannee, Choctawhatchee, and Escambia River systems. This suggests that aquila is but a variant of jayana. However, there are consistent differences. Aquila has a silky periostracum (jayana is matte or shaggy), often is boldly rayed (less rayed in jayana), and has coarser beak sculpture than jayana that persists over more of the shell. The posterior slope often is concave in aquila but convex in jayana.
Unio maconensis Lea, 1857, is a synonym.