Vesicomyidae

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Vesicomyidae
Vesicomya galatheae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Superorder: Imparidentia
Order: Venerida
Superfamily: Glossoidea
Family: Vesicomyidae
Dall & Simpson, 1901

Vesicomyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily Glossoidea.[1] They thrive in communities of sulphide-rich reducing environments, at depths from 100 to 9050 m.[2]

Vesicomyidae is very often studied to understand molecular adaptation to extreme deep-sea environments and biogeography. Studies of Kenzoic fossile figures show that Vesicomyidae has lived in this type of habitat since late Eocene, 42-47 millions of years ago.[3] The taxonomy foor this family is currently under revision as there is a discrepancy between molecular data and morphological data.[4]

Swedish researcher Frida Hybertsen has shown in her dissertation that the difference in size of the Vesicomyidae between Eocene to the Oligocene might be due to climate change.[5]

Vesicomyidae has been found at the underwater Piip Volcano in the Bering Sea, off the Puerto Rican coast[6] and more recently in the Ross Sea.[7]

Genera and species

Genera, and some selected species, within the family Vesicomyidae are:

Subfamily Pliocardiinae Woodring, 1925
Subfamily Vesicomyinae Dall & Simpson, 1901
Synonyms
  • † Adulomya Kuroda, 1931 (includes Ectenagenasynonym of Pleurophopsis)
    • † Adulomya elongata (Dall, 1916)
    • † Adulomya extenta (Krylova & Moskalev, 1996)
    • † Adulomya phaseoliformis (Métivier, Okutani & Ohta, 1986)
    • † Adulomya kaikoi (Okutani & Métivier, 1986)
    • † Adulomya uchimuraensis Kuroda, 1931 : synonym of † Pleurophopsis uchimuraensis (Kuroda, 1931) (original combination)
  • Akebiconcha Kuroda, 1943: synonym of Archivesica Dall, 1908
  • Laubiericoncha Cosel & Olu, 2008: synonym of Archivesica Dall, 1908
  • Pleurophoropsis Cossmann, 1920: synonym of Pleurophopsis van Winkle, 1919 (unjustified emendation of Pleurophopsis)

References

  1. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Vesicomyidae Dall & Simpson, 1901. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23140 on 2022-02-01
  2. lena M. Krylova, Heiko Sahling (April 1, 2010). "Vesicomyidae (Bivalvia): Current Taxonomy and Distribution". Retrieved 13 March 2026. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Hybertsen, Frida. "Systematik och utforskning av den kemosyntetiska musselfamiljen Vesicomyidae". havet.nu. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  4. Robert C. Vrijenhoek ∗, Steven J. Schutz ∗ †, Richard G. Gustafson ∗, Richard A. Lutz. "Cryptic species of deep-sea clams (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Vesicomyidae) from hydrothermal vent and cold-water seep environments". Science direct. Retrieved 15 March 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Hybertsen, Frida (2022). Systematics and assessment of the chemosynthetic bivalve family Vesicomyidae. Stockholms universitet. Institutionen för geologiska vetenskaper. ISBN 9789179119607. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. Glossoidea J. E. Gray, 1847 (1840). "WoRMS taxon details". Worms. Retrieved 13 March 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. Critter of the Week: an exciting discovery, the Vesicomyidae clam. "Critter of the Week". Niwa. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  • Bieler, R.; Carter, J. G.; Coan, E. V. (2010). Classification of Bivalve families. pp. 113–133, in: Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2010), Nomenclator of Bivalve Families. Malacologia. 52(2): 1–184.
  • Coan, E. V.; Valentich-Scott, P. (2012). Bivalve seashells of tropical West America. Marine bivalve mollusks from Baja California to northern Peru. 2 vols, 1258 pp.