Limidae – Flame Clams

Description

The Limidae family are related to the scallops but typically remain attached to substrates with byssal threads, often spinning a nest of threads. The molluscs are largely found in sea floor sand of the tropics, but also in waters beyond the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.  Long sticky tentacles are generally visible, which in Lima hians, are colored a brilliant orange. In other species, a scarlet mantle and gill may be found. Some Lima species can actually swim like scallops (see for example Pectinidae), by clapping their shells together then expelling a water as a directed jet steam; for example, Lima hians.

 

The Limidae family systematics have been revised, and some older names are in error (see Mikkelsen & Bieler, Invertebrate Systematics 17(5): 667 – 710, 1996). Lima squamosa(Lamarck, 1801), which this shell was labelled is a misidentification.

Classification

Class: Bivalvia

Subclass: Pteriomorphia

Order: Pterioida

Suborder: Ostreina

Family: Limidae

Major Genera

• Genus: Acesta
• Genus: Lima
• Genus: Limaria
• Genus: Limea
• Genus: Limatula (Antarctolima)

Acesta angolensis Acesta borneensis Acesta bullisi Acesta celebensis Acesta citrina Acesta colombiana Acesta diomedae Acesta excavata Acesta goliath Acesta marissinica Acesta maui Acesta patagonica Acesta philippinensis Acesta rathbuni Acesta saginata Acesta smithi Acesta verdensis Ctenoides ales Ctenoides annulata Ctenoides concentricus Ctenoides lischkei Ctenoides mitis Ctenoides philippinarum Ctenoides scaber Divarilima albicoma Divarilima iwaotakii Escalima regularis Lima bullifera Lima caribaea Lima ceylanica Lima divaricata Lima fujitai Lima gemina Lima lima Lima marioni Lima nakayasui Lima nimbifer Lima quantoensis Lima sagamiensis Lima sowerbyi Lima tetrica Lima tomlini Lima tropicalis Lima vulgaris Lima vulgatula Lima zealandica Limaria africana Limaria auaua Limaria basilanica Limaria cumingii Limaria dentata Limaria fragilis Limaria hakodatensis Limaria hemphilli Limaria hians Limaria hirasei Limaria kawamurai Limaria keohea Limaria lahaina Limaria loscombi Limaria orbignyi Limaria orientalis Limaria pacifica Limaria parallela Limaria pellucida Limaria rotundata Limaria thryptica Limaria tuberculata Limatula acherontis Limatula bullata Limatula delli Limatula gwyni Limatula hodgsoni Limatula japonica Limatula maoria Limatula ovalis Limatula powelli Limatula pusilla Limatula raoulica Limatula regularis