Vesicomyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily Glossoidea. They thrive in communities of sulphide-rich reducing environments, at depths from 100 to 9050 m.
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. The taxonomy foor this family is currently under revision as there is a discrepancy between molecular data and morphological data.
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.
Vesicomyidae has been found at the underwater Piip Volcano in the Bering Sea, off the Puerto Rican coast and more recently in the Ross Sea.
Genera and species
Genera, and some selected species, within the family Vesicomyidae are:
Subfamily Pliocardiinae <small>Woodring, 1925</small>
- Abyssogena <small>Krylova, Sahling & R. Janssen, 2010</small>
- Archivesica <small>Dall, 1908</small>
- Austrogena <small>Krylova, Sellanes, F. Valdés & D'ElÃÂa, 2014</small>
- Callogonia <small>Dall, 1889</small>
- Calyptogena <small>Dall, 1891</small>
- Calyptogena magnifica
- Calyptogena pacifica <small>Dall, 1891</small>
- Christineconcha <small>Krylova & Cosel, 2011</small>
- â Cytherocardia <small>Sacco, 1900</small>
- Ectenagena <small>Woodring, 1938</small>
- Elenaconcha <small>Cosel & Olu, 2009</small>
- â Hubertschenckia <small>Takeda, 1953</small>
- Isorropodon <small>Sturany, 1896</small>
- Laubiericoncha <small>von Cosel & Olu, 2008</small>
- Laubiericoncha angulata <small>(Dall, 1896)</small> (formerly in Vesicomya)
- Laubiericoncha chuni <small>(Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931)</small> (formerly in Vesicomya)
- Laubiericoncha myriamae <small>von Cosel & Olu, 2008</small>
- Laubiericoncha suavis <small>(Dall, 1913)</small> (formerly in Vesicomya)
- Laubiericoncha sp. 'Edison Seamount'
- Laubiericoncha sp. 'Gakkel Ridge'
- â Notocalyptogena <small>Amano, Saether, C. Little & K.A. Campbell, 2014</small>
- Phreagena <small>Woodring, 1938</small>
- Pleurophopsis <small>Van Winkle, 1919</small> (fossil, nomen dubium, sometimes included in Calyptogena)
- "Pleurophopsis" peruviana <small>Olsson, 1931</small> (fossil)
- "Pleurophopsis" unioides <small>Van Winkle, 1919</small> (fossil)
- Pliocardia <small>Woodring, 1925</small>
- Turneroconcha <small>Krylova & Sahling, 2020</small>
- Waisiuconcha <small>Beets, 1942</small>
- Wareniconcha <small>Cosel & Olu, 2009</small>
Subfamily Vesicomyinae <small>Dall & Simpson, 1901</small>
- Vesicomya <small>Dall, 1886</small>
- Vesicomya atlantica <small>(E. A. Smith, 1885)</small>
- Vesicomya bruuni <small>Filatova, 1969</small>
- Vesicomya caribbea <small>Boss, 1967</small>
- Vesicomya cordata <small>Boss, 1968</small>
- Vesicomya gigas <small>(Dall, 1896)</small>
- Vesicomya leeana <small>(Dall, 1889)</small>
- Vesicomya lepta <small>(Dall, 1896)</small>
- Vesicomya ovalis <small>(Dall, 1896)</small>
- Vesicomya pilula <small>(Dall, 1881)</small>
- Vesicomya smithii <small>Dall, 1889</small>
- Vesicomya stearnsii <small>(Dall, 1895)</small>
- Vesicomya vesica <small>(Dall, 1886)</small>
Synonyms:
- â Adulomya <small>Kuroda, 1931</small> (includes Ectenagenasynonym of Pleurophopsis)
- â Adulomya elongata <small>(Dall, 1916)</small>
- â Adulomya extenta <small>(Krylova & Moskalev, 1996)</small>
- â Adulomya phaseoliformis <small>(Métivier, Okutani & Ohta, 1986)</small>
- â Adulomya kaikoi <small>(Okutani & Métivier, 1986)</small>
- â Adulomya uchimuraensis<small> Kuroda, 1931</small> : synonym of â Pleurophopsis uchimuraensis <small>(Kuroda, 1931)</small> (original combination)
- Akebiconcha <small>Kuroda, 1943</small>: synonym of Archivesica <small>Dall, 1908</small>
- Laubiericoncha <small>Cosel & Olu, 2008</small>: synonym of Archivesica <small>Dall, 1908</small>
- Pleurophoropsis <small>Cossmann, 1920:</small> synonym of Pleurophopsis <small>van Winkle, 1919</small> (unjustified emendation of Pleurophopsis)
References
- Bieler, R.; Carter, J. G.; Coan, E. V. (2010). Classification of Bivalve families. pp. 113âÂÂ133, in: Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2010), Nomenclator of Bivalve Families. Malacologia. 52(2): 1âÂÂ184.
- 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.
External links
- Dall, W. H. & Simpson, C. T. (1901). The Mollusca of Porto Rico. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 20: 351-524, pl. 54-58
- Krylova E. M. & Sahling H. (2010). "Vesicomyidae (Bivalvia): Current Taxonomy and Distribution". PLoS ONE 5(4): e9957.
- Krylova, E. M.; Sahling, H.; Borowski, C. (2018). Resolving the status of the families Vesicomyidae and Kelliellidae (Bivalvia: Venerida), with notes on their ecology. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 84(1): 69âÂÂ91
- Bieler, R.; Mikkelsen, P. M.; Collins, T. M.; Glover, E. A.; González, V. L.; Graf, D. L.; Harper, E. M.; Healy, J.; Kawauchi, G. Y.; Sharma, P. P.; Staubach, S.; Strong, E. E.; Taylor, J. D.; Tëmkin, I.; Zardus, J. D.; Clark, S.; Guzmán, A.; McIntyre, E.; Sharp, P.; Giribet, G. (2014). Investigating the Bivalve Tree of Life â an exemplar-based approach combining molecular and novel morphological characters. Invertebrate Systematics. 28(1): 32-115