''Solemya'' 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 ...

mollusk 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 e ...

s in the family

Solemyidae Solemyidae is a family of saltwater clams, marine protobranch bivalve mollusks in the order Solemyida. Biology Solemyids are remarkable in that their digestive tract is either extremely small or non-existent, and their feeding appendages are to ...

, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae.

Description

The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcylindrical in shape; there are no hinge teeth. The shell has a persistent thin

periostracum The periostracum ( ) is a thin, organic coating (or "skin") that is the outermost layer of the shell of many shelled animals, including molluscs and brachiopods. Among molluscs, it is primarily seen in snails and clams, i.e. in gastropods and ...

which extends beyond the valve margins, hence the common name "awning clams". These clams have

chemosynthetic In biochemistry, chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon-containing molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic compounds (e.g., hydrogen gas, hydro ...

bacterial

symbionts Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

that produce their food. The bacteria live within their gill cells, and produce energy by oxidizing

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The unde ...

, which they then use to fix carbon dioxide via the

Calvin cycle The Calvin cycle, light-independent reactions, bio synthetic phase, dark reactions, or photosynthetic carbon reduction (PCR) cycle of photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen-carrier compounds into ...

. This symbiosis has been best-studied in the Atlantic species '' S. velum'' and the Pacific species '' S. reidi''.

Species

Species within the genus ''Solemya'' include: * ''

Solemya africana ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya atacama ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya australis ''Solemya'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. ''Solemya'' is the type genus of the family Solemyidae. Description The shell valves of species in this genus are fragile and subcyl ...

'' * ''

Solemya borealis ''Solemya borealis'' , the boreal awning clam, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solemyidae the awning clams. This species is found along the northeastern coast of North America, from Nova Scotia to Connect ...

'' * '' Solemya elarraichensis'' * '' Solemya flava'' * '' Solemya moretonensis'' * '' Solemya notialis'' * '' Solemya occidentalis'' * '' Solemya panamensis'' * '' Solemya parkinsonii'' * '' Solemya pervernicosa'' * '' Solemya pusilla'' * '' Solemya reidi'' * '' Solemya tagiri'' * '' Solemya terraereginae'' * '' Solemya velesiana'' * ''

Solemya velum ''Solemya velum'', the Atlantic awning clam, is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solemyidae, the awning clams. This species is found along the eastern coast of North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida Florida is a state ...

'' * '' Solemya winkworthi''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3797860 Solemyidae Bivalve genera Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Chemosynthetic symbiosis