Carditidae is a family of marinebivalve clams of the orderCarditida, which was long included in the Venerida. They are the typetaxon of the superfamilyCarditoidea. 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 as of 2019 are:
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 and Divergidens are junior synonyms of Cardiocardita.
ActinobolusMörch, 1853 is a junior synonym of Cardites. It is not to be confused with the rhinoceros beetle genus ActinobolusWestwood, 1842.
Ceropsis Dall, 1871 is a junior synonym of Milneria. It should not be confused with the true weevil genus Ceropsis.
MiodonCarpenter, 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 Carditellona.
Increasingly in several 2010s classifications, the subgenus Venericardia 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 : 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:
In some classifications prior to the 2000s, Carditidae used to contain the seventh subfamily Carditellinae, until it was reallocated to Condylocardiidae.
