Nucula is a genus of very small saltwater clams. They are part of the family Nuculidae.
Fossil records
This genus is very ancient. Fossils are known from the Arenig to the Quaternary (age range: from 478.6 to 0.0 million years ago). Fossils are found in the marine strata all over the world.
Description
Shells of species within this genus can reach a size of about . They are equivalve, symmetrical, approximately triangular. The surface has fine concentric growth lines. These clams live in the muddy sand close to the sediment surface at a depth of 20 to 200 meters.
Species
Nowadays there are still many species of this genus, which have had virtually no change in the course of time. Species within the genus Nucula include:
- Nucula annulata <small>Hampson, 1971</small>
- Nucula atacellana <small>Schenck, 1939</small> - cancellate nutclam
- Nucula austrobenthalis Dell, 1990
- Nucula beachportensis Verco, 1907
- Nucula benguelana (A. H. Clarke, 1961)
- Nucula brasiliana Esteves, 1984
- Nucula calcicola <small>Moore, 1977</small> - reef nutclam
- Nucula callicredemna Dall, 1890
- Nucula cancellata <small>Meek & Hayden, 1856</small>
- Nucula cardara <small>Dall, 1916</small>
- Nucula carlottensis <small> Dall, 1897</small> - Charlotte nutclam
- Nucula certisinus <small>Finlay, 1930</small>
- Nucula chrysocome
- Nucula consentanea Melvill & Standen, 1907
- Nucula covra Bergmans, 1978
- Nucula crassicostata E. A. Smith, 1872
- Nucula crassidens Nicklès, 1955
- Nucula crenulata <small>A. Adams, 1856</small> - crenulate nutclam
- Nucula crystallina Poppe, Tagaro & Stahlschmidt, 2015
- Nucula culebrensis E. A. Smith, 1885
- Nucula cymella <small>Dall, 1886</small>
- Nucula darella <small>Dall, 1916</small>
- Nucula declivis Hinds, 1843
- Nucula delphinodonta <small>Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842</small> - dolphintooth nutclam
- Nucula distincta Turton, 1932
- Nucula donaciformis E. A. Smith, 1895
- Nucula dorsocrenata (Habe, 1977)
- Nucula dunedinensis <small>Finlay, 1928</small>
- Nucula exigua <small>G. B. Sowerby I, 1833</small> - iridescent nutclam, short nutclam
- Nucula exodonta Prashad, 1932
- Nucula faba Xu, 1999
- Nucula falklandica Preston, 1912
- Nucula fernandensis Villarroel, 1971
- Nucula fernandinae <small>Dall, 1927</small>
- Nucula gallinacea <small>Finlay, 1930</small>
- Nucula granulosa <small>Verrill, 1884</small>
- Nucula groenlandica <small>Posselt, 1898</small> - Greenland nutclam
- Nucula hanleyi <small>Winckworth, 1931</small>
- Nucula hartvigiana <small>Dohrn, 1864</small>
- Nucula hawaiensis Pilsbry, 1921
- Nucula inconspicua H. Adams, 1871
- Nucula insignis (Hayami & Kase, 1993)
- Nucula interflucta Marincovich, 1973
- Nucula iphigenia Dall, 1896
- Nucula irregularis G. B. Sowerby III, 1904
- Nucula izushotoensis (Okutani, 1966)
- Nucula kanaka Bergmans, 1991
- Nucula kerguelensis Thiele, 1912
- Nucula libera Bergmans, 1991
- Nucula malabarica Hanley, 1860
- Nucula mariae Nolf, 2005
- Nucula marmorea Hinds, 1843
- Nucula marshalli Schenck, 1939
- Nucula mayi (Iredale, 1930)
- Nucula mesembrina (Hedley, 1916)
- Nucula mitralis Hinds, 1843
- Nucula multidentata Prashad, 1933
- Nucula nicklesi Cosel, 1995
- Nucula nitidosa <small>Winckworth, 1930</small> (unaccepted name: Nucula turgida <small>Leckenby & Marshall, 1875</small>)
- Nucula nitidula <small>A. Adams, 1856</small>
- Nucula nitidulaformis <small>Powell, 1971</small>
- Nucula notobenthalis Thiele, 1912
- Nucula nucleus <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
- Nucula oppressa Bergmans, 1991
- Nucula papillifera Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931
- Nucula paulula A. Adams, 1856
- Nucula percrassa <small>(Conrad, 1858 )</small>
- Nucula pisum G. B. Sowerby I, 1833
- Nucula planiculmen Kilburn, 1999
- Nucula praetenta Iredale, 1924
- Nucula profundorum E. A. Smith, 1885
- Nucula proxima <small>Say, 1822</small> - Atlantic nutclam
- Nucula pseudoexigua Villarroel & Stuardo, 1998
- Nucula pusilla Angas, 1877
- Nucula recens <small>Dell, 1956</small>
- Nucula revei Bergmans, 1978
- Nucula rhytidopleura Kilburn, 1999
- Nucula rossiana <small>Finlay, 1930</small>
- Nucula rugulosa G. B. Sowerby I, 1833
- Nucula saltator (Iredale, 1939)
- Nucula schencki Hertlein & Strong, 1940
- Nucula sculpturata G. B. Sowerby III, 1904
- Nucula semen Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931
- Nucula semiornata d'Orbigny, 1842
- Nucula sericea Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931
- Nucula striolata A. Adams, 1856
- Nucula suahelica (Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931)
- Nucula subluxa Kilburn, 1999
- Nucula subovata <small>Verrill & Bush, 1898</small>
- Nucula sulcata <small>Bronn, 1831</small>
- Nucula sultana Thiele & Jaeckel, 1931
- Nucula surinamensis Van Regteren Altena, 1968
- Nucula tamatavica Odhner, 1943
- Nucula tenuis <small>(Montagu, 1808)</small>
- Nucula tersior Marwick, 1929 âÂÂ
- Nucula thielei Schenck, 1939
- Nucula tokyoensis Yokoyama, 1920
- Nucula torresi E. A. Smith, 1885
- Nucula trigonica Lan & Lee, 2001
- Nucula tumidula <small>(Malm, 1860)</small>
- Nucula venezuelana Weisbord, 1964
- Nucula vincentiana (Cotton & Godfrey, 1938)
- Nucula zophos <small>A. H. Clark, 1960</small>
Extinct species
Extinct species within the genus Nucula include:
References