Donacidae – Coquina Clams

Description

This is an prolific filter feeder, that provides an important link in coastal food chains, including sea birds and people. It is an indicator species for the status of sandy beach-ocean front habitats. As such, the clam’s population is drastically reduced by dam building, dredging, erosion control, and conventional beach remediation practices.The clam is a nimble surf-rider, with the capability of using its foot to leap out of the sand and ride an in-bound wave using its foot and extended syphons much like a “sail” (Marchant, 2000).

From an evolutionary perspective, Donax serra serra (Roding, 1798) may be quite notable. It shows phenoplasticity for shape; i.e., a heritable switch capability depending on particular environmental cues (Soares et al., 1998). Phenoplastic switching may also underlie the numerous colormorphs of this clam species, such as shown at the right for Donax serra aurantiaca(Krauss. 1848). See comparison of these two species in Figure 1 of Species & Speciation.Phenoplasticity is actually a widespread phenomenon generally overlooked by those schooled in neo-Darwinian survival explanations.

 

Classification

Class: Bivalvia

Subclass: Heterodonta

Order: Veneroida

Superfamily: Tellinacea

Family: Donacidae

 

Major Genera

• Genus: Donax
• Genus: Hecuba
• Genus: Hemidonax
• Genus: Iphigenia
• Genus: Plebidonax

Chion obesulus Chion obesulus mancorensis Chion punctatostriatus Deltachion electilis Dentilatona lubricus Dentilatona lubricus elegans Dentilatona lubricus productus Donax anatia Donax assimilis Donax assimilis panamensis Donax bertini Donax bipartitus Donax brazieri Donax burnupi Donax carinatus Donax columbella Donax compressus Donax culter Donax cuneatus Donax deltoides Donax denticulatus Donax dentifer Donax dysoni Donax erythraeensis Donax faba Donax fossor Donax francisensis Donax gemmula Donax gouldii Donax gracilis Donax incarnatus Donax kindermanni Donax kiusiuensis Donax madagascariensis Donax nitidus Donax owenii Donax parvulus Donax pulchellus Donax roemeri Donax rugosus Donax rugosus interrupta Donax scalpellum Donax scortum Donax sebae Donax semigranosus Donax semistriatus Donax semistriatus clodiensis Donax semisulcatus Donax serra Donax serra aurantiaca Donax simplex Donax sordidus Donax spiculum Donax striatus Donax texasianus Donax tinctus Donax townsendi Donax transversus Donax transversus gibbosulus Donax trifasciatus Donax trunculus Donax trunculus anatinus Donax variabilis Donax variegatus Donax vellicatus Donax venustus Donax veruinus Donax vittatus Paradonax californicus Paradonax californicus navicula Galatea congica Galatea paradoxa

BIVALVIA-VENERIDA-TELLINOIDEA – Family: DONACIDAE Fleming, 1828 – (159 species, 15 var)- Sea