Lucina is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs.
These bivalves are remarkable for their endosymbiosis with sulphide-oxidizing bacteria.
Fossil record
Fossils of Lucina are found in marine strata from the Devonian until the Quaternary (age range: from 388.1 to 0.012 million years ago).
Selected species
Species brought into synonymy:
- Lucina amiantus <small>(Dall, 1901)</small> â decorated lucine : synonym of Radiolucina amianta <small>(Dall, 1901)</small> (incorrect gender ending)
- Lucina bermudensis <small>Dall, 1901</small>: synonym of â Lucinoma bermudensis <small>(Dall, 1901)</small>
- Lucina excavata <small>Carpenter, 1857</small>: synonym of Here excavata <small>(Carpenter, 1857)</small>
- Lucina fenestrata <small>Hinds, 1845</small>: synonym of Lucinisca fenestrata <small>(Hinds, 1845)</small>
- Lucina floridana <small>Conrad, 1833, now Stewartia floridana</small>: synonym of Stewartia floridana <small>(Conrad, 1833)</small>
- Lucina keenae <small>Chavan, 1971</small>: synonym of Callucina keenae <small>(Chavan, 1971)</small>
- Lucina leucocyma <small>Dall, 1886</small>: synonym of Pleurolucina leucocyma <small>(Dall, 1886)</small>
- Lucina nuttalli <small>(Conrad, 1791)</small>: synonym of Lucinisca nuttalli <small>(Conrad, 1837)</small>
- Lucina sombrerensis <small>Dall, 1886</small>: synonym of Pleurolucina sombrerensis <small>(Dall, 1886)</small>
- â Lucina trisulcata <small>Conrad, 1841</small>: synonym of â Cavilinga trisulcata <small>(Conrad, 1841)</small>
Characteristics
The members of the genus Lucina, as other members of the family Lucinidae, are found in muddy sand or gravel at or below low tide mark. They have characteristically rounded shells with forward-facing projections. The valves are flattened and etched with concentric rings. Each valve bears two cardinal and two plate-like lateral teeth. These molluscs do not have siphons but the extremely long foot makes a channel which is then lined with slime and serves for the intake and expulsion of water.
- Lucina leucocyma <small>Dall, 1886</small> â four-ribbed lucine: synonym of Pleurolucina leucocyma <small>(Dall, 1886)</small>
- Lucina muricata <small>(Spengler, 1798)</small>: synonym of Lucinisca centrifuga <small>(Dall, 1901)</small>
- Lucina nassula <small>(Conrad, 1846)</small>: synonym of Lucinisca nassula <small>(Conrad, 1846)</small>
- Lucina pectinata <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small>: synonym of Phacoides pectinatus <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small>
- Lucina radians <small>(Conrad, 1841)</small>: synonym of Callucina keenae <small>(Chavan, 1971)</small>
References