Carditidae is a family of marine bivalve clams of the order Carditida, which was long included in the Venerida. They are the type taxon of the superfamily Carditoidea.
Carditidae is a neglected and poorly classified family. It has six subfamilies recognised by the World Register of Marine Species, but the WoRMS has refrained from assigning contents to any family due to ambiguity and overlap in their definitions. Additionally, several genera have been or are still considered subgenera of other genera by some authors.
Genera The genera of Carditidae recognised by the World Register of Marine Species are: Akardita La Perna, Brunetti & Della Bella, 2018 Arcturellina Chavan, 1951 Bathycardita Iredale, 1924 Beguina Röding, 1798 Cardiocardita Anton, 1838 Cardita Bruguière, 1792 Carditamera Carditellopsis Iredale, 1936 Cardites Link, 1807 Centrocardita Sacco, 1899 †Choniocardia Cossmann, 1904 †Claibornicardia Stenzel & Krause, 1957 Coripia de Gregorio, 1885 Cuna Hedley, 1902 Cuna aupouri Powell, 1937 Cuna carditelloides Suter, 1911 Cuna compressidens Powell, 1933 Cuna gibbosa Powell, 1937 Cuna laqueus Finlay, 1927 Cuna manawatawhia Powell, 1937 Cuna mayi Powell, 1930 Cuna mendica Dell, 1952 Cuna mayi Powell, 1930 Cuna otagoensis Powell, 1927 Cyclocardia Glans Megerle von Mühlfeld, 1811 Glyptoactis Stewart, 1930 †Goosensia Cossmann, 1885 Hamacuna Cotton, 1931 Lazariella Sacco, 1899 Megacardita Sacco, 1899 Milneria Dall, 1881 †Miodomeris Chavan, 1936 Miodontiscus Dall, 1903 †Paraglans Chavan, 1941 Pleuromeris Powellina Huber, 2010 Pteromeris Purpurocardia Maxwell, 1969 Strophocardia Olsson, 1961 Thecalia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1857 †Tutcheria Cox, 1946 †Venericardia †Venericor Stewart, 1930 Vimentum Iredale, 1925
Synonyms:
Arcturella Chavan, 1941 is a junior synonym of Arcturellina. It is not to be confused with Arcturella Sars, 1879, which is a junior synonym of the isopod genus Astacilla. Azarella is a junior synonym of Beguina. Agaria, Cardiocardites [sic] and Divergidens are junior synonyms of Cardiocardita. Actinobolus Mörch, 1853 is a junior synonym of Cardites. It is not to be confused with the rhinoceros beetle genus Actinobolus Westwood, 1842. Ceropsis Dall, 1871 is a junior synonym of Milneria. It should not be confused with the true weevil genus Ceropsis. Miodon Carpenter, 1863 is a junior synonym of Miodontiscus. It should not be confused with Miodon Duméril, 1859, which is a junior synonym of the mole viper genus Polemon.
Notes:
In some classifications, Bathycardita is a subgenus of Cardiocardita. In some classifications, Centrocardita is a subgenus of Glans. In some classifications, Claibornicardia is a subgenus of either Glyptoactis or Venericardia. In some classifications, Vimentum is a subgenus of Cyclocardia. In some classifications prior to the 2000s, Carditella was included in Carditidae, but it has since been moved to Condylocardiidae, along with its former junior synonym/subgenus (now independent genus) Carditellona. Increasingly in several 2010s classifications, the subgenus Venericardia (†Baluchicardia) Rutsch and Schenck 1943 is considered an independent genus.
Subfamilies
Chavan, 1969 The original six-subfamily system was first proposed by Chavan in 1969, contain the following genera (some of which are now synonyms or classified in other families):
Carditamerinae Chavan, 1969
Carditesinae Chavan, 1969
Baluchicardia Cardites Claibornicardia Glyptoactis Ludbrookia Paraglans Xenocardita
Carditinae Férussac, 1822
Beguina Cardita Jesonia
Miodomeridinae Chavan, 1969
Chavanella Coripia Miodomeris Pteromeris
Thecaliinae Dall, 1903
Milneria Thecalia
Venericardiinae Chavan, 1969
Leuroactis Megacardita Pacificor Trapezicardita Venericardia Venericor
Perez, 2019 In 2019, D. E. Pérez proposed a seven-subfamily system for Carditidae.
Carditamerinae
Carditamera Centrocardita Glans
Carditinae
Beguina *Birkelundita Cardita
Miodomeridinae
*Kolmeris Miodomeris Pteromeris
Palaeocarditinae Chavan, 1969
*Palaeocardita *Schizocardita
Scalaricarditinae Pérez, 2019
Coripia *Scalaricardita Vimentum
Thecaliinae
Powellina Thecalia
Venericardiinae
* = not yet recognised by the World Register of Marine Species.
In addition, Pérez proposed possible affiliations for the genera not included in his subfamilies:
Carditidae: Carditomantea? Carditinae: Goosensia? Cyclocardida: Ainicardita, Crassicardia, Lunulicardita Eucarditidae: Pseudocardia? (some species) Miodomeridinae: Miodontiscus Scalaricarditinae: Malarossia, Akardita?, Choniocardia (could be Cyclocardida) Stem-Carditidae: Fenestricardita?, Trapezicardita?, Gujocardita? (could be Permophoridae), Septocardia? (could be Cardiidae) Stem-Eucarditidae or Stem-Carditida: Izumicardia Venericardiini: Cossmannella, Cretocardia, Lazariella Venericardiinae: Cycloglans, Strophocardia, Maghrebella?, Subvenericardia? Uncertain: Milneria, Xenocardita
In some classifications prior to the 2000s, Carditidae used to contain a seventh subfamily Carditellinae, until it was reallocated to Condylocardiidae.
References
(1979): New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. (2008): Psamathini. Version of 2008-MAR-26. Retrieved 2009-FEB-23.