Veneroida

Veneroida
Empty cockle shell, family Cardiidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Subclass:	Heterodonta
Order:	Veneroida
Families
See text.

The Veneroida or veneroids are an order of bivalve molluscs. They include some familiar forms such as saltwater clams and cockles, and a number of freshwater bivalves including zebra mussels.

Veneroids are generally thick-valved, equal valved, and isomyarian (that is, their adductor muscles are of equal size). Three main hinge teeth are characteristic of the subclass Heterodonta to which this order belongs. Many species are active rather than sessile. However they tend to be filter feeders, feeding through paired siphons, with a characteristic folded gill structure adapted to that way of life.

Recent work in molecular systematics has suggested that this order is not monophyletic. If this conclusion is sustained, the order will presumably be broken up in due course.

Classification

• Superfamily Veneroidea
  • Petricolidae
  • Veneridae
• Superfamily Astartoidea
  • Astartidae
• Superfamily Corbiculoidea
  • Corbiculidae
  • Sphaeriidae
• Superfamily Tellinoidea
  • Donacidae
  • Psammobiidae
  • Semelidae
  • Tellinidae
• Superfamily Arcticoidea
  • Arcticidae
• Superfamily Cardioidea
  • Cardiidae
  • Tridacnidae
• Superfamily Dreissenoidea
  • Dreissenidae
• Superfamily Galeommatoidea
  • Galeommatidae
  • Lasaeidae
  • Kelliidae
• Superfamily Glossoidea
  • Glossidae
  • Vesicomyidae
• Superfamily Lucinoidea
  • Cyrenoididae
  • Fimbriidae
  • Lucinidae
  • Thyasiridae
  • Ungulinidae
• Superfamily Mactroidea
  • Mactridae
  • Mesodesmatidae
• Superfamily Solenoidea
  • Pharidae
  • Solenidae
• Superfamily Carditoidea
  • Carditidae
  • Condylocardiidae
• Superfamily Gastrochaenoidea
  • Gastrochaenidae
• Superfamily Cyamioidea
  • Cyamiidae
  • Neoleptonidae
  • Sportellidae
• Superfamily Chamoidea
  • Chamidae
• Superfamily Crassatelloidea

External links

• Veneroida Taxonomy

References

This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (December 2009)

Wikispecies has information related to: Veneroida

• Cyamiidae (TSN 80708). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

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