Glycymeris (genus)

Glycymeris
Temporal range: Cretaceous - Recent
Fossil shells of a Glycymeris species from the Upper Pliocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Pteriomorpha
Order: Arcoida
Family: Glycymerididae
Genus: Glycymeris
da Costa, 1778

Glycymeris, common name the bittersweet clams, is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Glycymerididae.

Etymology

The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek word glykymaris (perhaps from Glykys (sweet) and Meris (part)), a word which is only recorded once in Greek literature.

Fossil records

These clams are very common in the fossil state, from Cretaceous period in the Valanginian age (from 112.6 to o 0.012 million years ago). Fossil shells of these molluscs can be found all over the world. Genus Glycymeris includes about 100 extinct species.[1][2]

Fossil valve of Glycymeris inflata from the Pliocene of Italy

Description

The shells ares generally biconvex, with equal valves round in outline, and slightly longer than wide. Their size varies from medium to large. The external ligament lacks transverse striations. These clams are a facultatively mobile infaunal suspension feeders.

Habitat

They are widespread on shallow seabeds that consist of heterogeneous-grained sediments.

Species

Species within this genus include:[3]

  • Glycymeris albolineata (Lischke, 1872) - White-lined bittersweet
  • Glycymeris amboinensis
  • Glycymeris americana (DeFrance, 1829) - Giant bittersweet
  • Glycymeris arcodentiens
  • Glycymeris bimaculata (Polish, 1795) - Two-spotted bittersweet
  • Glycymeris castanea Lamarck
  • Glycymeris connollyi Tomlin, 1925
  • Glycymeris dampierensis
  • Glycymeris decussata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Decussate bittersweet
  • Glycymeris delessertii (Reeve, 1843)
  • Glycymeris diomedea
  • Glycymeris glycymeris (Linnaeus, 1758) - Dog cockle or European bittersweet
  • Glycymeris formosus
  • Glycymeris gigantea (Reeve, 1843)
  • Glycymeris gordoni (Nowell-Usticke, 1959)
  • Glycymeris insubrica
  • Glycymeris kauaia
  • Glycymeris kona
  • Glycymeris longior (Broderip & G. B. Sowerby I, 1833)
  • Glycymeris modesta (Angas, 1879)
  • Glycymeris molokaia
  • Glycymeris muskatensis Melvill, 1897 - Muscat bittersweet
  • Glycymeris nummaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Glycymeris nux
  • Glycymeris oculata (Reeve, 1843)
  • Glycymeris pectinata (Gmelin, 1791) - Comb bittersweet
  • Glycymeris pectiniformis (Lamarck, 1819)
  • Glycymeris pectunculus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Glycymeris reevei (Mayer, 1868) - Reeve's bittersweet
  • Glycymeris radians (Lamarck, 1819) - Rayed bittersweet
  • Glycymeris rotunda (Dunker, 1882)
  • Glycymeris septentrionalis (Middendorff, 1849)
  • Glycymeris sericata (Reeve, 1843)
  • Glycymeris spectralis (Nicol, 1952) - Spectral bittersweet
  • Glycymeris strigilata Sowerby, 1833
  • Glycymeris tellinaeformis (Reeve, 1843)
  • Glycymeris undata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Atlantic bittersweet
  • Glycymeris vestita (Dunker, 1877)
  • Glycymeris yessoensis (Sowerby,1886)

Gallery

See also

List of molluscan genera represented in the fossil record

References

  1. ↑ Paleobiology database
  2. ↑ Sepkoski, Jack Sepkoski's Online Genus Database
  3. ↑ Biolib


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