Pseudodon

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Pseudodon is a genus of freshwater mussels in the Unionidae family. They live in rivers in East and Southeast Asia, and there are 12 recognized species. Like other Unionids, their larvae parasitize fish to move to new places. They are eaten locally and their shells are used for jewelry, cosmetics, and medicine.

The genus was named by John Gould from his work in the Salween River Basin in what was British Burma. It was first described as a subgenus of Anodon, and Gould included two species: the type species Anodon inoscularis and Anodon salweniana.

Pseudodon shells are thick and elongated oval, with the upper valve curved toward the back. Most are smooth, though some species have deep transverse ridges. The hinge teeth are high, thick, and rounded.

Pseudodon mainly lives in the Yangtze River basin and Myanmar. P. inoscularis is also found in Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. P. resupinatus is native to northern Vietnam, and P. vondembuschianus is found in Indonesia and Indochina.

A fossil shell, DUB1006-fL, from Pseudodon vondembuschianus trinilensis, was found in Trinil, Java. It has a zigzag engraving made by Homo erectus between about 540,000 and 430,000 years ago. Some call this the oldest known human-made carving, while others see it as decoration or doodling. Whether it is art is debated.

The World Register of Marine Species recognizes 12 Pseudodon species.