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Family Veneridae - venus clams
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Order
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Class
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Bivalvia
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No. of Genera in Ref.
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No. of Species in Ref.
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Environment
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Fresh : No |
Brackish : Yes |
Marine : Yes
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Aquarium
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First Fossil Record
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Remark
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Under order Eulamellibranchiata in Ref. 2797. Shell mostly solid, equivalve or subequivalve, obliquely rounded, or ovate to subtrigonal in outline and usually not gaping; inequilateral, with generally prominent, prosogyrate umbones, at or in front of the midline of shell. Lunule and/or escutcheon usually present. Sculpture only concentric, or with a radial component. Periostracum most of the time inconspicuous. Ligament external, behind the umbones, often inserted in a deep groove. Hinge with 3 usually radially disposed cardinal teeth in each valve (1 or more of which may be grooved or bifid), anterior lateral teeth sometimes present. Interior of shell porcelaneous. Two more or less equal adductor muscle scars, the posterior sometimes slightly larger. Pallial sinus usually present. Internal margins smooth to denticulate. Gills of eulamellibranchiate type, with folded branchial sheets; outer demibranch smaller than the inner, expanded and almost flat above the axis. Foot large and rather short, hatchet-shaped, rarely byssate in the adult. Mantle broadly open ventrally. Siphons short to long, naked fused or separate, with simple tentacles on tips and inside the inhalent opening to strain out large particles. Active burrowers in various soft bottoms, sometimes nestling in rock crevices or among marine growths. Most common in low intertidal to shallow subtidal depths, especially in areas where organic debris is present in high concentration. Suspension feeders, filtering planktonic algae and organic matter from the water. Sexes generally separate. Eggs numerous, giving free-swimming pelagic larvae. Many species of Veneridae are collected for food or commercially fished, sometimes in large quantities. Some represent major commercial species and are extensively cultivated to keep up with high demand and to compensate for effects of overexploitation and inceasing pollution of coastal environments (Ref. 348).
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Etymology
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Division
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Reproductive guild
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Typical activity level
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Main Ref.
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Coordinator
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