Tellinidae – Tellin Clams

Description

The Rostrate Tellin shown at the right is paper thin. It was collected on the island of Honshu, Japan, in 1960, in a central location. In general, tellins have narrow, thin shells, and a wide blade-like foot. They can easily insert their foot into soft sands, and, since their body is also blade-like, they can withdraw below fast enough to escape a predator. 

 

Interestingly, tellins carry the oxygen carrying pigment, hemoglobin, in both their nerve ganglia and muscle cells. The myoglobin form of this pigment is found in muscles, giving them a bright red color. This property of assisted oxygen delivery to tissues is also found in a few other bivalves (see for example, Arcidae).

 

In contrast to most tellins, the Rasp Tellin shown below has a rather sturdy shell with a perisostracum that seems like it could serve as a rasp. 

Classification

Class: Bivalvia

Subclass: Heterodonta

Order: Veneroida

Superfamily: Tellinacea

Family: Tellinidae

Major Genera

• Genus: Apolemetus
• Genus: Gastrona
• Genus: Macoma
• Genus: Psammotreta
• Genus: Strigilla
• Genus: Tellina

Aenigmotellina nishimurai Ameritella felix Ameritella versicolor Angulus minuta Apolymetis intestriata Apolymetis meyeri Leporimetis cognata Leporimetis ephippium Leporimetis spectabilis Arcopagia balaustina Arcopagia crassa Arcopagia fausta Arcopagia isseli Arcopagia richardi Asthenometis asthenodon Atlantella distorta Bathytellina abyssicola Bathytellina citrocarnea Bosemprella incarnata Cadella smithi Coanyax pacifica Dellius georgianus Loxoglypta rhomboides Loxoglypta subpallida Loxoglypta transculpta Gastrana fragilis Gastrana matadoa Hanleyanus oblongus Herouvalia caelata Heteromacoma irus Idatellina idae Indotellina chariessa Iridona iridescens Jitlada arsinoensis Jitlada juvenilis Laciolina chloroleuca Macalia bruguieri Cymatoica orientalis Cymatoica undulata Jactellina hungerfordi Macoma balthica Macoma biota Macoma brota Macoma calcarea Macoma candida Macoma carlottensis Macoma cleryana Macoma constricta Macoma contabulata Macoma ecuadoriana Macoma elimata Macoma elytrum Macoma expansa Macoma extenuata Macoma golikovi Macoma hesperus Macoma inclinata Macoma incongrua Macoma indentata Macoma inornata Macoma inquinata Macoma lama Macoma lamproleuca Macoma levior Macoma limula Macoma lipara Macoma litoralis Macoma loveni Macoma lucerna Macoma medioamericana Macoma mitchelli Macoma moesta Macoma nasuta Macoma phenax Macoma pseudomera Macoma pulleyi Macoma retrorsa Macoma schultzei Macoma secta Macoma sectior