Pterioidea

Pterioidea is a superfamily of epifaunal marine bivalves mostly inhabiting continental shelf regions of tropical and subtropical oceans. The superfamily includes the economically-important saltwater pearl oysters as well as the oddly shaped hammer oysters (neither of which, however, is considered a true oyster). A number of species have found use as model organisms in the fields of medicine and science.[1]

Pterioidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Pteriida
Superfamily: Pterioidea
Gray 1840 (1820)

It includes the following three accepted living families:

  • Malleidae, the hammer oysters, Lamarck, 1818
  • Pteriidae, the pearl oysters, tree oysters, and winged oysters, Gray, 1847 (1820)
  • Pulvinitidae, a family of rare deep sea oysters, no common name, Stephenson, 1941

Fossil families include:

  • Family †Aviculopectinidae
  • Family †Bakevelliidae
  • Family †Cassianellidae
  • Family †Isognomonidae
  • Family †Kochiidae
  • Family †Pergamidiidae
  • Family †Plicatosylidae
  • Family †Posidoniidae
  • Family †Pterineidae
  • Family †Retroceramidae

References


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