Brook Floater vs Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen

Alasmidonta varicosa compared with Cladonia merochlorophaea

Key Differences

Brook Floater is Vulnerable while Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Floater	Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Unionida (Unionida)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Unionidae	Cladoniaceae
Genus	Alasmidonta	Cladonia
Species	Alasmidonta varicosa	Cladonia merochlorophaea

Conservation Status

Brook Floater

VU — Vulnerable

Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Floater	Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen
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.

Gritty Pixie-Cup Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.