Pholadidea


Pholadidea is a taxonomic genus of marine bivalve molluscs in the family Pholadidae. Most members of Pholididea bore into shale, soft rock and coral for shelter, with the exception of Pholididea wiffenae, which is a wood-borer.

Appearance

The Pholididea are distinguished from the other genera in Martesiinae by having only on umbonal-ventral sulcus, a longitudinally-divided mesoplax, and either no metaplax and hypoplax, or a single plate caused by deposition of calcite in the periostratum.

Occurrence

Pholididea is known from the Eocene to the Holocene, while the subgenus P. is known only from the Holocene. Species have been reported from the Palaeocene and Late Cretaceous, but these likely belong in other genera.

Taxonomy

The following taxonomic classifications exist in Pholididea:

Subgenera

; Synonyms