Subclass Heterodonta | Superfamily Lucinoidea Genus LucinaBruguière, 1797 Order Veneroida | |
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Similar Codakia, Lucinidae, Anodontia philippiana, Lucinoma borealis, Lucinoida | ||
Lucina is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs.
Contents
These bivalves are remarkable for their endosymbiosis with sulphide-oxidizing bacteria.
Fossil record
Fossils of Lucina are found in marine strata from the Devonian until the Quaternary (age range: from 388.1 to 0.012 million years ago).
Characteristics
The members of the genus Lucina, as other members of the family Lucinidae, are found in muddy sand or gravel at or below low tide mark. They have characteristically rounded shells with forward-facing projections. The valves are flattened and etched with concentric rings. Each valve bears two cardinal and two plate-like lateral teeth. These molluscs do not have siphons but the extremely long foot makes a channel which is then lined with slime and serves for the intake and expulsion of water.