''Mya'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of saltwater clams,

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

bivalve Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s in the family

Myidae Myidae, common name the softshell clams, is a taxonomic family of marine bivalve molluscs in the order Myida. Genera Genera within the family Myidae include: * '' Cryptomya'' ( Conrad, 1848) **'' Cryptomya californica'' ( Conrad, 1837) – Cali ...

. They are widespread and abundant in northern waters. Commonly known as Ipswich clams,

soft-shell clam Soft-shell clams (American English) or sand gaper (British English/Europe), scientific name ''Mya arenaria'', popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams" are a species of edible saltwater clam, a ...

or steamers, they are routinely used as a food source for humans.

Species

Species within the genus ''Mya'' include:Zhang, Junlong (Nov 2018) ''et al.'', A tale of two soft-shell clams: an integrative taxonomic analysis confirms ''Mya japonica'' as a valid species distinct from ''Mya arenaria'' (Bivalvia: Myidae). ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 184 (3): 605–622, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx107 *''

Mya arenaria Soft-shell clams (American English) or sand gaper (British English/Europe), scientific name ''Mya arenaria'', popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams" are a species of edible saltwater clam, a ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

*'' Mya baxteri'' Coan & Scott, 1997 *'' Mya eideri'' Hopner Petersen, 1999 *'' Mya japonica'' Jay, 1857 *'' Mya neoovata'' Hopner Petersen, 1999 *'' Mya neouddevallensis'' Hopner Petersen, 1999 *'' Mya pseudoarenaria'' Schlesch, 1931 *'' Mya truncata''

References

Myidae Bivalve genera {{Bivalve-stub