Bivalve families

The Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve molluscs in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, Limnoperna, inhabits freshwater environments. Mytilidae, which contains some 52 genera, is the only extant family within the order Mytilida.

Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, this common name is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families within the superfamily Pectinoidea, which also includes the thorny oysters.

The shipworms, also called teredo worms or simply teredo (, via Latin ), are marine bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae, a group of saltwater clams with long and soft bodies. They are notorious for boring into (and commonly eventually destroying) wood that is immersed in seawater, including such structures as wooden piers, docks, and ships; they drill passages by means of a pair of very small shells ("valves") borne at one end, with which they rasp their way through. They are sometimes called "termites of the sea". Carl Linnaeus assigned the common name Teredo to the best-known genus of

thumb|Left valve dentition of the shell of the venerid Mercenaria mercenaria

The Unionidae are a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids.

Solenidae, commonly called "razor shells", is a family of marine bivalve molluscs in the unassigned Euheterodonta.

Margaritiferidae is a family of medium-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the order Unionida. It is the most threatened of all unionid families.

Myidae, common name the softshell clams, is a taxonomic family of marine bivalve molluscs in the order Myida.

The Tellinidae are a family of marine bivalve molluscs of the order Cardiida. Commonly known as tellins or tellens, they live fairly deep in soft sediments in shallow seas and respire using long siphons that reach up to the surface of the sediment.

The Dreissenidae are a family of small freshwater aquatic bivalve molluscs, commonly called mussels although not at all closely related to true mussels. The shells of these bivalves are shaped somewhat like those of true mussels, which they also resemble in attaching themselves to a hard substrate such as stone using a byssus; however, this group is more closely related to the venus clams (Veneridae).

Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.

The Limidae or file shells are members of the only family of bivalve molluscs in the order Limida. The family includes 130 living species, assigned to 10 genera. Widely distributed in all seas from shallow to deep waters, the species are usually epifaunal or nestling, with many species building byssal nests for protection. The majority of species are capable of irregular swimming by waving their long mantle tentacles.

The Donacidae, the bean clams or wedge shells, are a family of bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Tellinoidea.

Pteriidae, also called the feather oysters, is a family of medium-sized to large saltwater oysters. They are pearl oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Pteriida.

The Pinnidae are a taxonomic family of large saltwater clams sometimes known as pen shells. They are marine bivalve molluscs in the order Pteriida.

Glycymerididae, often misspelled as Glycymeridae, common names dog cockles or bittersweets, is a worldwide family of salt water clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Arcida. They are related to the ark clams. This family contains 45 extant species in four genera.

Anomiidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs related to scallops and oysters, and known as anomiids. It contains seven genera.

Hiatellidae is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. This family is placed in the order Adapedonta.

Lucinidae, common name hatchet shells, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs.

Pholadidae, known as piddocks or angelwings, are a family of bivalve molluscs similar to a clam.

Pharidae is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Adapedonta. This family of clams is related to the razor shells, a family which is considered to include Pharidae by some authorities.

Corbulidae is a family of very small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Myida.

thumb|Praeexogyra hebridica from the Frome Clay (Bathonian, Middle Jurassic) of Langton Herring, Dorset, England. thumb|Liostrea strigilecula from the Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic) of southwestern Utah.

Astartidae is a family of bivalves related in the order Carditida.

Nuculidae is a family of small saltwater clams in the order Nuculida. Species in this family are commonly known as nut clams.

Carditidae is a family of marine bivalve clams of the order Carditida, which was long included in the Venerida. They are the type taxon of the superfamily Carditoidea.

Periplomatidae is a family of large marine bivalves of the Anomalodesmata order.

The Semelidae are a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Cardiida.

Chamidae, common name the jewel boxes or jewel box clams, is a family of marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.

The Psammobiidae, or sunset clams, are a family of medium-sized saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs of the order Cardiida.

Solemyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine protobranch bivalve mollusks in the order Solemyida.

Lasaeidae is a family of very small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Galeommatida. These bivalves are sometimes called "kelly clams", because one of the genera in this family is Kellia.

Cuspidariidae is a family of small marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily Cuspidarioidea.

Malletiidae is a family of bivalves in the order Nuculanida.

Nuculanidae is a family of small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Nuculanida. Species in this family are found in all seas, from shallow to deep water.

Lyonsiidae is a family of small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Anomalodesmata.

Sphaeriidae is a family of small to minute freshwater bivalve molluscs in the order Sphaeriida. In the US, they are commonly known as pea clams or fingernail clams.

Yoldiidae is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Nuculanida.

Verticordiidae is a family of benthic marine bivalves in the superorder Anomalodesmata. These clams range from 2 - 200 millimeters in length and are mainly found in coastal waters surrounding Australia and the Americas, though a few species within this family such as Haliris mediopacifica are found in the middle of the ocean. Verticordiidae is known for being a family of septibranchs, or predatory bivalves, rather than filter feeders. Clams dig vertical burrows in substrate and use papillae around the edges of their inhalant siphons to detect microscopic prey. Some clams in this family, specif

Limopsidae is a family of bivalves, related to the ark clams and bittersweets. This family contains about thirty species in seven genera.

Myochamidae is a family of marine bivalves in the superorder Anomalodesmata. It includes both cementing and burrowing species.

Galeommatidae is a family of small and very small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Galeommatida.

thumb|230px|Spinaxinus sentosus

Gastrochaenidae is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Gastrochaenida.

Trapezidae is a family of bivalves in the order Venerida.

Thraciidae is a family of small marine bivalves in the superorder Anomalodesmata.

Vesicomyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the superfamily Glossoidea. They thrive in communities of sulphide-rich reducing environments, at depths from 100 to 9050 m.

Ungulinidae is a family of marine bivalve molluscs in the order Venerida.

Noetiidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Arcida. They are related to the ark clams and used to be classified as among them. They are differentiated from the ark clams by the presence of striations on the hinge ligament and on the placement of this ligament. Like the ark clams, however, their shells range from ovate to elongate, are inflated, and are brown and white with clear radial ribs. They usually grow to around 6 cm in length, with a maximum of 10 cm.

Neilonellidae is a taxonomic family of small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Nuculanida.

Clavagellidae is a family of very unusual marine bivalves of the order Anomalodesmata.

Philobryidae is a taxonomic family of very small equivalved triangular saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs, related to the ark clams and the bittersweets. Their shells have projecting umbones and are non-nacreous. The ligament of the hinge is either completely internal or only slightly external. They have only one adductor muscle scar on the inside of each of their shells as opposed to the more-common two. Species from this family are found in most seas, in shallow to moderately deep water. This family contains about sixty species in seven genera.

Mesodesmatidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.

Poromyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Anomalodesmata. The genus Dilemma, described in 2008, is remarkable for being a predator of copepods, which is very unusual for a sessile mollusc.

Pandoridae is a taxonomic family of small saltwater clams, marine bivalves in the order Anomalodesmata.

Cyamiidae is a family of marine bivalve clams of the superfamily Cyamioidea.

The Solecurtidae are a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Cardiida.

Laternulidae, common name lantern clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the order Anomalodesmata.

Hyriidae is a taxonomic family of pearly freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the order Unionida. This family is native to South America, Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. Like all members of that order, they go through a larval stage that is parasitic on fish (see glochidium).

Petricolinae is a subfamily of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs related to the large family Veneridae or Venus clams. Some authors include these genera within the Veneridae as the subfamily Petricolinae.