Sphaeriidae is a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs in the order Sphaeriida. In the US, they are commonly known as pea clams or fingernail clams.Heard, William H. 1965. Comparative life histories of North American pill clams (Sphaeriidae: Pisidium). Malacologia, 2: 381-411.Heard, William H. 1977. Reproduction of fingernail clams (Sphaeriidae: Sphaerium and Musculium). Malacologia, 16: 421-455.
Genera Genera: Euperinae Byssanodonta d'Orbigny, 1846 Eupera Bourguignat, 1854 Sphaeriinae Afropisidium Kuiper, 1962 Euglesa Jenyns, 1832 Musculium Link, 1807 Odhneripisidium Kuiper, 1962 Pisidium C. Pfeiffer, 1821 Sphaerium Scopoli, 1777 fossils †Megasphaerioides Komatsu, J.-H. Chen & Q.-F. Wang, 2003 †Protosphaerium Hocknull, 2000 †Sphaericoncha Kolesnikov, 1980
Biology and ecology Sphaeriidae are hermaphrodites with internal fertilization. Developing young are incubated within their mother (ovoviviparity), and newborn clams look like miniature copies of the adults.
Parasites and/or predators include the Sciomyzidae.
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