Brook Floater vs Clustered Mushroom

Alasmidonta varicosa compared with Agaricus cappellianus

Key Differences

Brook Floater is Vulnerable while Clustered Mushroom is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Floater	Clustered Mushroom
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Unionida (Unionida)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Unionidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Alasmidonta	Agaricus (Button Mushrooms)
Species	Alasmidonta varicosa	Agaricus cappellianus

Conservation Status

Brook Floater

VU — Vulnerable

Clustered Mushroom

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Floater	Clustered Mushroom
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Floater

Habitat

Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clustered Mushroom

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Brook Floater

The Brook Floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) is a species in the genus Alasmidonta. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Clustered Mushroom

Agaricus cappellianus is a saprotrophic agaric fungus in the family Agaricaceae, the family containing the cultivated button mushroom (A. bisporus). Like other members of the genus Agaricus, A. cappellianus produces a cap with free gills that start out white or pink and darken to brown or blackish-brown as the spores mature. The stipe bears an annulus (ring) and is separate from the cap at maturity. A. cappellianus is known primarily from Europe, where it grows in grassy habitats, woodland edges, and gardens. The genus Agaricus is large, with hundreds of species globally, and field identification can be challenging. Important identification characters include cap color and texture, flesh-bruising reactions (yellowing or reddening), smell (anise-like vs. phenolic), spore color and size, and stipe characteristics. Some Agaricus species are edible and prized, while others contain phenolic compounds that cause gastrointestinal upset. Formal IUCN conservation status has not been assessed for A. cappellianus. The species has not been widely studied, and limited information is available on its ecology, host range, and distribution.