| Tellinidae | |
|---|---|
| A shell of Tellina fabula | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Subclass: | Heterodonta |
| Order: | Veneroida |
| Suborder: | Sphaeriacea |
| Superfamily: | Tellinoidea |
| Family: | Tellinidae Blainville, 1814 |
| Genera | |
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See text |
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Tellinidae is a family of marine bivalve molluscs of the order Veneroida. They live fairly deep in soft sediments in shallow seas and respire using long siphons that reach up to the surface of the sediment.
Tellinids have rounded or oval, elongated shells, much flattened. The two valves are connected by a large external ligament. The two separate siphons are exceptionally long, sometimes several times the length of the shell. These siphons have a characteristic cruciform muscle at their base.[1]