| Heteroconchia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The venerid species Austrovenus stutchburyi , the New Zealand cockle, is sold internationally as sea food. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Subclass: | Autobranchia |
| Infraclass: | Heteroconchia J. E. Gray, 1854 |
| Orders | |
| |
Heteroconchia is a taxonomic infraclass of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs, belonging to the subclass Autobranchia. [1]
This infraclass includes the edible clams, the cockles and the Venus clams. [1]
These bivalves are distinguished by having the two halves of the shell equally sized (i.e, they are equivalved) and having a few cardinal teeth separated from a number of long lateral teeth. Their shells lack a nacreous layer, and the gills are lamellibranch in form. Most species have a siphon. [2]
The following tree is their info which has been updated with the latest information from the World Register of Marine Species: [1]
Infraclass: Heteroconchia
Notes:
Thoracica is an infraclass of crustaceans which contains the most familiar species of barnacles found on rocky coasts, such as Semibalanus balanoides and Chthamalus stellatus. They have six well-developed limbs, and may be either stalked or sessile. The carapace is heavily calcified. The group includes free-living and commensal species.
Venerida is an order of mostly saltwater but also some freshwater bivalve molluscs. This order includes many familiar groups such as many clams that are valued for food and a number of freshwater bivalves.
The Arcida is an extant order of bivalve molluscs. This order dates back to the lower Ordovician period. They are distinguished from related groups, such as the mussels, by having a straight hinge to the shells, and the adductor muscles being of equal size. The duplivincular ligament, taxodont dentition, and a shell microstructure consisting of the outer crossed lamellar and inner complex crossed lamellar layers are defining characters of this order.
Myida is an order of saltwater and freshwater clams, marine and freshwater bivalve molluscs in the subclass Heterodonta. The order includes such bivalves as soft-shell clams, geoducks and shipworms.
Nuculidae is a family of small saltwater clams in the order Nuculida. Species in this family are commonly known as nut clams.
Anomalodesmata is an superorder of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. This grouping was formerly recognised as a taxonomic subclass. It is called a superorder in the current World Register of Marine Species, despite having no orders, to parallel it with sister taxon Imparidentia, which does have orders.
The Vermetidae, the worm snails or worm shells, are a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. The shells of species in the family Vermetidae are extremely irregular, and do not resemble the average snail shell, hence the common name "worm shells" or "worm snails".
Isognomonidae is a family of medium-sized to large saltwater clams. They are pearl oysters, marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily Pterioidea
Verticordiidae is a family of benthic marine bivalves in the superorder Anomalodesmata. These clams range from 2 - 200 millimeters in length and are mainly found in coastal waters surrounding Australia and the Americas, though a few species within this family such as Haliris mediopacifica are found in the middle of the ocean. Verticordiidae is known for being a family of septibranchs, or predatory bivalves, rather than filter feeders. Clams dig vertical burrows in substrate and use papillae around the edges of their inhalant siphons to detect microscopic prey. Some clams in this family, specifically in the genus Trigonulina, have distinct extended circular formations on their shells.
Lottiidae is a family of sea snails, specifically true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Lottioidea and the clade Patellogastropoda.
The Ptenoglossa is an informal taxonomic group of sea snails. This group was considered paraphyletic or polyphyletic by Ponder and Lindberg (1997) in their classification of gastropod molluscs.
Abyssochrysoidea is a superfamily of deep-water sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks unassigned in the orderCaenogastropoda.
Cypridoidea is a superfamily of ostracods in the suborder Cypridocopina.
Brookula brevis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, unassigned in the superfamily Seguenzioidea.
Requieniidae is a family of rudists, in the order Hippuritida, which lived from 155.7 to 66.043 million years ago.
Astartoidea is a superfamily of bivalves in the order Carditida. In the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), it is considered a junior synonym of Crassatelloidea, whereas in ITIS Crassatelloidea is a separate superfamily containing Crassatellidae.
Carditida is an order of marine bivalve clams.
Carditoidea is a superfamily of marine bivalve clams.
Crassatelloidea is a superfamily of bivalves in the order Carditida. In the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), Astartoidea is considered a junior synonym of Crassatelloidea, whereas in ITIS Astartoidea is a separate family containing Astartidae and Cardiniidae – Cardiniidae itself being classified instead in Carditoidea by WoRMS.
Caryocorbula is a genus of saltwater clams belonging to the Corbulidae family, classified as marine bivalve molluscs.: This genus is often referred to as corbula and serracorbula instead of caryocorbula.