Nuculanida

Nuculanida is an order of very small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subclass Protobranchia.

Nuculanida
Bathyspinula calcar
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Subclass:	Protobranchia
Order:	Nuculanida Carter, D. C. Campbell & M. R. Campbell, 2000
Families
See text
Synonyms
Nuculanoida

Description

These bivalves are distinguished by the presence of relatively primitive, "protobranchiate" gills. There are a row of short teeth along the hinge of the shell. The shells are often internally nacreous.

Families

Families within the order Nuculanida include:

• Bathyspinulidae Coan & Scott, 1997
• Lametilidae
• Malletiidae H. and A. Adams, 1858
• Neilonellidae Schileyko, 1989
• Nuculanidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1858
• Sareptidae Stoliczka, 1871
• Siliculidae Allen and Sanders, 1973
• Tindariidae Verrill and Bush, 1897
• Yoldiidae Habe, 1977
• Praenuculidae Mcalester, 1969 (?)
• Pristiglomidae Sanders and Allen, 1973 (?)