Anomiidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs related to scallops and oysters, and known as anomiids. It contains seven genera.
The family is known by several common names, including jingle shells, mermaid's toenails, and saddle oysters.
Description Anomiids have extremely thin, translucent, paper-like shells. There is often a hole in the lower shell, caused by growth of the shell around the byssus. The shell follows the shape of the object it lies on - usually a rock or a large shell of another creature.
Uses The flesh of members of this family is unpleasantly bitter and is not eaten. However, industrial uses of the shell include manufacture into, or as part of, glue, chalk, paint, shellac and solder. Capiz shells, the shells of Placuna placenta, the windowpane oyster, are made into decorative objects such as lampshades, in Asia.
Genera and species The following genera and species are recognised by the World Register of Marine Species:
Anomia Anomia achaeus Gray, 1850 Anomia chinensis Philippi, 1849 - Chinese jingle shell Anomia cytaeum Gray, 1850 Anomia ephippium Linnaeus, 1758 - European jingle shell Anomia macostata Huber, 2010 Anomia peruviana d'Orbigny, 1846 - Peruvian jingle shell Anomia simplex d'Orbigny, 1842 - Common jingle shell Anomia trigonopsis Hutton, 1877 - New Zealand jingle shell Enigmonia Enigmonia aenigmatica (Holten, 1803) - Mangrove jingle shell Heteranomia Heteranomia squamula (Linnaeus, 1758) - Prickly jingle Isomonia Isomonia alberti (Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1897) Isomonia umbonata (Gould, 1861) Monia Monia colon (Gray, 1850) Monia deliciosa Iredale, 1936 Monia macroschisma (Deshayes, 1839) Monia nobilis (Reeve, 1859) Monia patelliformis (Linnaeus, 1767) Monia squama (Gmelin, 1791) Monia timida Iredale, 1939 Monia zelandica (Gray, 1843) Patro Patro australis (Gray in Jukes, 1847) Patro undatus Pododesmus Pododesmus foliatus (Broderip, 1834) Pododesmus macrochisma (Deshayes, 1839) Pododesmus patelliformis (Linnaeus, 1761) - Ribbed saddle-oyster Pododesmus rudis (Broderip, 1834) - False Atlantic jingle shell
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