''Solemya'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of saltwater clams,

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

bivalve 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, biv ...

mollusk 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 recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

s in the family

Solemyidae Solemyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine protobranch bivalve mollusks in the order Solemyida. Biology Solemyids are remarkable in that their digestive tract is either extremely small or non-existent, and their feeding appendages are to ...

, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nomina ...

of the family Solemyidae.

Description

The shell

valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fitting ...

of species in this genus are fragile and subcylindrical in shape; there are no

hinge teeth Hinge teeth are part of the anatomical structure of the inner surface of a bivalve shell, i.e. the shell of a bivalve mollusk. Bivalves by definition have two valves, which are joined together by a strong and flexible ligament situated on the hin ...

. The shell has a persistent thin

periostracum The periostracum ( ) is a thin, organic coating (or "skin") that is the outermost layer of the shell of many shelled animals, including molluscs and brachiopods. Among molluscs, it is primarily seen in snails and clams, i.e. in gastropods a ...

which extends beyond the valve margins, hence the common name "awning clams". These clams have

chemosynthetic In biochemistry, chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon-containing molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic compounds (e.g., hydrogen gas, hydrog ...

bacterial

symbionts Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

that produce their food. The bacteria live within their gill cells, and produce energy by oxidizing

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The und ...

, which they then use to fix carbon dioxide via the

Calvin cycle The Calvin cycle, light-independent reactions, bio synthetic phase, dark reactions, or photosynthetic carbon reduction (PCR) cycle of photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen-carrier compounds into ...

. This symbiosis has been best-studied in the Atlantic species '' S. velum'' and the Pacific species '' S. reidi''.

Species

Species within the genus ''Solemya'' include: * '' Solemya africana'' * '' Solemya atacama'' * '' Solemya australis'' * ''

Solemya borealis ''Solemya borealis'' , the boreal awning clam, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solemyidae the awning clams. This species is found along the northeastern coast of North America, from Nova Scotia to Connec ...

'' * '' Solemya elarraichensis'' * ''

Solemya flava ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya moretonensis ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya notialis ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya occidentalis ''Solemya occidentalis'' , the West Indian awning clam, is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solemyidae. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of ...

'' * ''

Solemya panamensis ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya parkinsonii ''Solemya parkinsonii'' is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solemyidae Solemyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine protobranch bivalve mollusks in the order Solemyida. Biology Solemyids are remarkable ...

'' * ''

Solemya pervernicosa ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya pusilla ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya reidi ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya tagiri ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya terraereginae ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subc ...

'' * '' Solemya velesiana'' * '' Solemya velum'' * ''

Solemya winkworthi ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subc ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3797860 Solemyidae Bivalve genera Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Chemosynthetic symbiosis