Veneridae

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Veneridae
Venus verrucosa.jpg
Left valve of Venus verrucosa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Venerida
Superfamily: Veneroidea
Family: Veneridae
Rafinesque, 1815
Genera

See text

Left valve dentition of the shell of the venerid Mercenaria mercenaria MercenariaDentition081111.jpg
Left valve dentition of the shell of the venerid Mercenaria mercenaria

The Veneridae or venerids, common name: Venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. Over 500 living species of venerid bivalves are known, most of which are edible, and many of which are exploited as food sources.

Contents

Many of the most important edible species are commonly known (in the USA) simply as "clams". Venerids make up a significant proportion of the world fishery of edible bivalves. The family includes some species that are important commercially, such as (in the USA) the hard clam or quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria.

Taxonomy

The classification within the family Veneridae has been controversial at least since the 1930s. Molecular approaches show that much of this traditional classification is unnatural. [1] Some common species have been moved between genera (including genera in different subfamilies) because of repeated attempts to bring a more valid organization to the classification or taxonomy of the family, therefore changes in the generic name of species are frequently encountered.

The characters used for classifying this group still tend to be superficial, focusing on external features, especially those of the shell. Venerid clams are characterized as bivalves with an external posterior ligament, usually a well demarcated anterior area known as the lunule, and three interlocking structures (called cardinal teeth) in the top of each valve; several of the subfamilies also have anterior lateral teeth, anterior to the cardinal teeth: one in the left valve, and two (sometimes obscure) in the right valve. The inner lower peripheries of the valves can be finely toothed or smooth.

Classification

Marcia marmorata Marcia marmorata 001.jpg
Marcia marmorata
Sunetta meroe Sunetta meroe 002.jpg
Sunetta meroe

The following genera are recognised in the family Veneridae: [2]

Subfamily Callocardiinae Dall, 1895

Subfamily Clementiinae Frizzell, 1936

Subfamily Cyclininae Frizzell, 1936

Subfamily Dosiniinae Deshayes, 1853

Subfamily Gemminae Dall, 1895

Subfamily Gouldiinae Stewart, 1930

Subfamily Meretricinae Gray, 1847

Subfamily Petricolinae d'Orbigny, 1840

Subfamily Samarangiinae Keen, 1969

Subfamily Sunettinae Stoliczka, 1870

Subfamily Tapetinae Gray, 1851

Subfamily Turtoniinae Clark, 1855

Subfamily Venerinae Rafinesque, 1815

Incertae sedis

Description

Venerid bivalve; Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (Late Cretaceous, early Campanian), near Amman, Jordan CretaceousVenerid.jpg
Venerid bivalve; Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (Late Cretaceous, early Campanian), near Amman, Jordan
Dentition of venerid bivalve; Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (Late Cretaceous, early Campanian), near Amman, Jordan CretaceousVeneridDentition.jpg
Dentition of venerid bivalve; Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (Late Cretaceous, early Campanian), near Amman, Jordan

Shell sculpture tends to be primarily concentric, but radial and divaricating ornamentation (see Gafrarium ), and rarely spines ( Pitar lupanaria for example) occur on some. One small subfamily, the Samarangiinae, is created for a unique and rare clam found in coral reefs with an outer covering of cemented sand or mud that texturally camouflages it while enhancing the thickness of the shell. Several venerid clams have overall shell shapes adapted to their environments. Tivela species, for example, have the triangular outline of the surf clams in other bivalve families, and occur often in surf zones. Some Dosinia species are almost disc-like in shape and reminiscent of lucinid bivalves; both types of circular bivalves tend to burrow relatively deeply into the sediment. Further reclassification is to be expected as the results of current research in molecular systematics on the group appear in the literature.

Venerids have rounded or oval solid shells with the umbones (projections) inturned towards the anterior end. Three or four cardinal teeth are on each valve. The siphons are short and united, except at the tip, and are not very long. The foot is large. [3]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Mercenaria</i> Genus of bivalves

Mercenaria is a genus of edible saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams.

<i>Venus</i> (bivalve) Genus of bivalves

Venus is a genus of small to large saltwater clams in the family Veneridae, which is sometimes known as the Venus clams and their relatives. These are marine bivalve molluscs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapaninae</span> Subfamily of gastropods

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tellinidae</span> Family of bivalves

The Tellinidae are a family of marine bivalve molluscs of the order Cardiida. Commonly known as tellins or tellens, they live fairly deep in soft sediments in shallow seas and respire using long siphons that reach up to the surface of the sediment.

<i>Dosinia</i> Genus of bivalves

Dosinia is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Veneridae, subfamily Dosiniinae Deshayes, 1853. The shell of Dosinia species is disc-like in shape, usually white, and therefore is reminiscent of the shells of Lucinid bivalves.

<i>Gari</i> (bivalve) Genus of bivalves

Gari is a genus of bivalve molluscs in the family Psammobiidae, known as sunset shells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mactridae</span> Family of bivalves

Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mytilidae</span> Family of bivalves

Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve molluscs in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, Limnoperna, even inhabits freshwater environments. Mytilidae, which contains some 52 genera, is the only extant family within the order Mytilida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turritellidae</span> Family of gastropods

Turritellidae, with the common name "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small- to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the Sorbeoconcha clade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petricolinae</span> Family of bivalves

Petricolinae is a subfamily of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs related to the large family Veneridae or Venus clams. Some authors include these genera within the Veneridae as the subfamily Petricolinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinidae</span> Family of bivalves

Lucinidae, common name hatchet shells, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs.

<i>Leukoma</i> Genus of bivalves

Leukoma is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. This genus of bivalves has been exploited by humans since prehistory; for example, the Chumash peoples of California harvested this genus from Morro Bay in approximately 1000 AD.

<i>Spisula</i> Genus of bivalves

Spisula is a genus of medium-sized to large marine bivalve mollusks or clams in the subfamily Mactrinae of the family Mactridae, commonly known as surf clams or trough shells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fasciolariidae</span> Family of gastropods

Fasciolariidae is a family of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Buccinoidea. Species in Fasciolariidae are commonly known as tulip snails and spindle snails.

<i>Acteon</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

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<i>Pitar</i> Genus of bivalves

Pitar is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Callocardiinae of the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. The genus contains over 60 species.

<i>Periglypta</i> Genus of bivalves

Periglypta is a genus of bivalves in the subfamily Venerinae of the family Veneridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euheterodonta</span> Subterclass of bivalves

Euheterodonta is an subterclass of Mollusca in the class Bivalvia.

References

  1. ↑ Chen, Jun; Li, Qi; Kong, Lingfeng; Zheng, Xiaodong (May 2011). "Molecular phylogeny of venus clams (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Veneridae) with emphasis on the systematic position of taxa along the coast of mainland China: Molecular phylogeny of venus clams". Zoologica Scripta. 40 (3): 260–271. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2011.00471.x. S2CID   82676170.
  2. ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Veneridae Rafinesque, 1815". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Barrett, J. H. and C. M. Yonge, 1958. Collins Pocket Guide to the Sea Shore. P. 158. Collins, London
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