Heteroconchia is a taxonomic infraclass of saltwater

clams Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two ...

, marine bivalve molluscs, belonging to the subclass Autobranchia This infraclass includes the edible clams, the cockles and the

Venus clams The Veneridae or venerids, common name: Venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. Over 500 living species of venerid bivalves are known, most of which are edible, and many of which are ex ...

Description

These bivalves are distinguished by having the two halves of the

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...

equally sized (i.e, they are ''equivalved'') and having a few cardinal teeth separated from a number of long lateral teeth. Their shells lack a nacreous layer, and the gills are

lamellibranch Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

in form. Most species have a siphon.

Orders and families

The following tree is their info which has been updated with the latest information from the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialis ...

: Infraclass: Heteroconchia *Unclassified family: † Lipanellidae *Subterclass: Archiheterodonta **Order: † Actinodontida ***Superfamily: † Amnigenioidea ****Family: † Amnigeniidae ****Family: † Montanariidae ****Family: † Zadimerodiidae *** Superfamily: † Anodontopsoidea **** Family: † Actinodontidae **** Family: † Anodontopsidae **** Family: † Baidiostracidae **** Family: † Cycloconchidae **** Family: † Intihuarellidae **** Family: † Redoniidae *** Superfamily: † Nyassoidea **** Family: † Nyassidae *** Superfamily: † Oriocrassatelloidea **** Family: † Crassatellopsidae **** Family: † Oriocrassatellidae *** Superfamily: † Palaeomuteloidea **** Family: † Palaeomutelidae **Order: Carditida ***Unclassified family: † Archaeocardiidae ***Unclassified family: † Eodonidae ***Superfamily: Carditoidea **** Family: † Cardiniidae ****Family: Carditidae ****Family: Condylocardiidae ***Superfamily: Crassatelloidea ****Family: † Aenigmoconchidae ****Family: Astartidae ****Family: Crassatellidae ****Family: † Myophoricardiidae *Subterclass: Euheterodonta **Unassigned Euheterodonta ***Superfamily: † Babinkoidea ***Superfamily: † Orthonotoidea **Superorder: Anomalodesmata ***Superfamily: Clavagelloidea ****Family: Clavagellidae ****Family: Penicillidae ***Superfamily: Cuspidarioidea ****Family: Cuspidariidae ****Family: Halonymphidae ****Family: Protocuspidariidae ****Family: Spheniopsidae ***Superfamily: Myochamoidea ****Family: Cleidothaeridae ****Family: Myochamidae ***Superfamily: Pandoroidea ****Family: Lyonsiidae ****Family: Pandoridae ***Superfamily: Pholadomyoidea ****Family: † Arenigomyidae ****Family: † Margaritariidae ****Family: Parilimyidae ****Family: Pholadomyidae ****Family: † Ucumariidae ***Superfamily:

Poromyoidea Poromyoidea is a superfamily of molluscs Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are reco ...

****Family:

Cetoconchidae ''Cetoconcha'' is the only extant genus of saltwater clams Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway burie ...

****Family:

Poromyidae Poromyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Anomalodesmata. The genus ''Dilemma'', described in 2008, is remarkable for being a predator of copepods, which is very unusual for a sessile mollusc. Genera and sp ...

***Superfamily: Thracioidea ****Family: † Burmesiidae ****Family: Clistoconchidae ****Family: Laternulidae ****Family: Periplomatidae ****Family: Thraciidae ***Superfamily: Verticordioidea ****Family: Euciroidae ****Family:

Lyonsiellidae Lyonsiellidae is a taxonomic family of marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into know ...

****Family:

Verticordiidae Verticordiidae is a family of benthic marine bivalves in the superorder Anomalodesmata. These clams range from 2 - 200 millimeters in length and are mainly found in coastal waters surrounding Australia and the Americas, though a few species withi ...

** Superorder: Imparidentia *** Unassigned Imparidentia **** Unassigned Family: † Palaeocarditidae ****Superfamily: Cyamioidea *****Family: Cyamiidae *****Family: Galatheavalvidae *****Family: Sportellidae ****Superfamily: Gaimardioidea *****Family: Gaimardiidae ****Superfamily: † Grammysioidea *****Family: † Grammysiidae *****Family: † Sanguinolitidae ****Superfamily: † Kalenteroidea *****Family: † Kalenteridae *** Order:

Adapedonta Adapedonta is an order of bivalves belonging to the class Bivalvia. Families: * Edmondiidae * Hiatellidae * † Pachydomidae * Pharidae * Solenidae Solenidae, commonly called "razor shells", is a family of marine bivalve molluscs in the un ...

**** Superfamily: † Edmondioidea *****Family: † Edmondiidae *****Family: † Pachydomidae ****Superfamily: Hiatelloidea *****Family: Hiatellidae ****Superfamily: Solenoidea *****Family: Pharidae *****Family:

Solenidae Solenidae, commonly called "razor shells", is a family of marine bivalve molluscs in the unassigned Euheterodonta. Taxonomy Originally, razor shells were all classified as Solenidae. Then, the genera were grouped into two sub-families, the Cult ...

***Order: Cardiida ****Superfamily: Cardioidea *****Family:

Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the family Cardiidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Cardiidae Lamarck, 1809. Accessed through: W ...

*****Family: † Pterocardiidae ****Superfamily: Tellinoidea *****Family: Donacidae *****Family: † Icanotiidae *****Family: Psammobiidae *****Family: † Quenstedtiidae *****Family: Semelidae *****Family: Solecurtidae *****Family: † Sowerbyidae *****Family: † Tancrediidae *****Family: Tellinidae *****Family: † Unicardiopsidae ***Order: Galeommatida ****Superfamily: Galeommatoidea *****Family: Basterotiidae *****Family: Galeommatidae *****Family: Lasaeidae ***Order: Gastrochaenida ****Superfamily: Gastrochaenoidea *****Family: Gastrochaenidae ***Order: † Hippuritida (rudists) ****Suborder: † Hippuritidina *****Superfamily: † Caprinoidea ******Family: † Antillocaprinidae ******Family: † Caprinidae ******Family: † Caprinuloideidae ******Family: † Ichthyosarcolitidae *****Superfamily: † Radiolitoidea ******Family: † Caprinulidae ******Family: † Caprotinidae ******Family: † Diceratidae ******Family: † Hippuritidae ******Family: † Monopleuridae ******Family: † Plagioptychidae ******Family: † Polyconitidae ******Family: †

Radiolitidae ''Radiolitidae'' is a family of rudists in the order Hippuritida. Fossil record These rudists lived between the Jurassic and the Cretaceous (age range: 130.0 to 66.043 million years ago). Genera Genera within this family include: * † '' Agri ...

******Family: † Trechmannellidae ****Suborder: † Requieniidina *****Superfamily: † Requienioidea ******Family: † Epidiceratidae ******Family: † Requieniidae ***Order: Lucinida ****Superfamily:

Lucinoidea Lucinidae, common name hatchet shells, is a family (biology), family of saltwater clams, marine (ocean), marine bivalve molluscs. These bivalves are remarkable for their endosymbiosis with sulphide-oxidizing bacteria. Characteristics The member ...

*****Family:

Lucinidae Lucinidae, common name hatchet shells, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. These bivalves are remarkable for their endosymbiosis with sulphide-oxidizing bacteria. Characteristics The members of this family have a worldwi ...

*****Family: † Mactromyidae *****Family: † Paracyclidae ****Superfamily:

Thyasiroidea Thyasiridae is a family of bivalve molluscs, including the cleft clams, in the order Lucinida. Genera and species * '' Adontorhina'' S. S. Berry, 1947 ** '' Adontorhina cyclia'' S. S. Berry, 1947 ** '' Adontorhina keegani'' Barry & McCormack, ...

*****Family: Thyasiridae ***Order: † Megalodontida ****Superfamily: † Mecynodontoidea *****Family: † Beichuaniidae *****Family: † Congeriomorphidae *****Family: † Mecynodontidae *****Family: † Plethocardiidae *****Family: † Prosocoelidae ****Superfamily: † Megalodontoidea *****Family: † Ceratomyopsidae *****Family: †

Dicerocardiidae Dicerocardiidae is an extinct family of fossil saltwater clams, Marine (ocean), marine heterodont bivalve molluscs, in the order Megalodontida. Genera Genera within the family Dicerocardiidae: * †''Cornucardia'' Koken 1913 * †''Dicerocardium ...

*****Family: † Megalodontidae *****Family: † Pachyrismatidae *****Family: † Wallowaconchidae ***Order: † Modiomorphida ****Superfamily: † Modiomorphoidea *****Family: † Cypricardiniidae *****Family: † Hippopodiumidae *****Family: † Modiomorphidae *****Family: † Palaeopharidae *****Family: † Tusayanidae ***Order:

Myida Myida (formerly Myoida) is an order of saltwater and freshwater clams, marine and freshwater bivalve molluscs in the subclass Heterodonta. The order includes such bivalves as soft-shell clams, geoducks and shipworms. Description They are burrowi ...

****Superfamily: Dreissenoidea *****Family:

Dreissenidae The Dreissenidae are a family of small freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs. They attach themselves to stones or to any other hard surface using a byssus. The shells of these bivalves are shaped somewhat like those of true mussels, and ...

****Superfamily: Myoidea *****Family:

Corbulidae Corbulidae is a family of very small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Myida. Genera and species Genera and species in the family Corbulidae include: * '' Anisocorbula'' Iredale, 1930 * '' Apachecorbula'' Olivera, 2014 ** '' ...

*****Family:

Myidae Myidae, common name the softshell clams, is a taxonomic family of marine bivalve molluscs in the order Myida. Genera Genera within the family Myidae include: * '' Cryptomya'' ( Conrad, 1848) **'' Cryptomya californica'' ( Conrad, 1837) – Cali ...

*****Family: † Pleurodesmatidae *****Family: † Raetomyidae ****Superfamily: Pholadoidea *****Family:

Pholadidae Pholadidae, known as piddocks or angelwings, are a family of bivalve molluscs similar to a clam. Background Piddocks are unique in that each side of their shells is divided into 2 or 3 separate sections. Furthermore, one of the piddock's shells ...

*****Family:

Teredinidae The shipworms are marine bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae: a group of saltwater clams with long, soft, naked bodies. They are notorious for boring into (and commonly eventually destroying) wood that is immersed in sea water, including ...

(shipworms) *****Family: Xylophagaidae ****Superfamily: † Pleuromyoidea *****Family: † Ceratomyidae *****Family: † Pleuromyidae *****Family: † Vacunellidae ***Order:

Sphaeriida Sphaeriida is an order of bivalves belonging to the class Bivalvia. Families: * Neomiodontidae * Sphaeriidae Sphaeriidae is a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs in the order Sphaeriida. In the US, they are commonly known ...

****Superfamily: Sphaerioidea *****Family: † Neomiodontidae *****Family: Sphaeriidae ***Order:

Venerida Venerida (formerly Veneroida) is an order of mostly saltwater but also some freshwater bivalve molluscs. This order includes many familiar groups such as many clams that are valued for food and a number of freshwater bivalves. Since the 2000s, t ...

****Superfamily: † Anthracosioidea *****Family: † Anthracosiidae *****Family: † Ferganoconchida *****Family: † Shaanxiconchidae ****Superfamily: Arcticoidea *****Family: Arcticidae *****Family: † Pollicidae *****Family: Trapezidae *****Family: † Veniellidae ****Superfamily:

Chamoidea Chamidae, common name the jewel boxes or jewel box clams, is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, a group of marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.Abbott, R.T. & Morris, P.A. ''A Field Guide to Shells: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the ...

*****Family:

Chamidae Chamidae, common name the jewel boxes or jewel box clams, is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, a group of marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.Abbott, R.T. & Morris, P.A. ''A Field Guide to Shells: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the ...

****Superfamily: Cyrenoidea *****Family: Cyrenidae *****Family: Cyrenoididae *****Family: Glauconomidae ****Superfamily: Glossoidea *****Family: Glossidae *****Family: Kelliellidae *****Family: † Lutetiidae *****Family: Vesicomyidae ****Superfamily: Hemidonacoidea *****Family: Hemidonacidae ****Superfamily: Mactroidea *****Family: Anatinellidae *****Family: Cardiliidae *****Family: Mactridae *****Family:

Mesodesmatidae ''Mesodesmatidae'' is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Mesodesmatidae Gray, 1840. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.o ...

****Superfamily: † Palaeanodontoidea *****Family: † Palaeanodontidae ****Superfamily: † Prilukielloidea *****Family: † Prilukiellidae *****Family: † Senderzoniellidae ****Superfamily: Ungulinoidea *****Family: Ungulinidae ****Superfamily: Veneroidea *****Family: † Isocyprinidae *****Family: Neoleptonidae *****Family:

Veneridae The Veneridae or venerids, common name: Venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. Over 500 living species of venerid bivalves are known, most of which are edible, and many of which are ex ...

Notes: * Family † Lyrodesmatidae was classified by Bieler, Carter & Coan (2010) as uncertain Heterodonta but has since been classified as

Palaeoheterodonta Palaeoheterodonta is a subclass of bivalve molluscs. It contains the extant orders Unionida (freshwater mussels) and Trigoniida. They are distinguished by having the two halves of the shell be of equal size and shape, but by having the hinge ...

. * Family † Redoniidae was classified by Bieler, Carter & Coan (2010) as uncertain Heterodonta but has since been classified more specifically as Anodontopsoidea. * Family † Lipanellidae was classified by Bieler, Carter & Coan (2010) as uncertain Heteroconchia (a proposed infraclass of the proposed bivalve subclass Autobranchia) but has since been classified as uncertain Heterodonta.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20992204 Bivalve taxonomy Mollusc subclasses