The Veneridae or venerids, common name: venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. Over 500 living species of venerid bivalves are known, most of which are edible, and many of which are exploited as food sources.

Many of the most important edible species are commonly known (in the USA) simply as “clams”. Venerids make up a significant proportion of the world fishery of edible bivalves. The family includes some species that are important commercially, such as (in the USA) the hard clam or quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria. The characters used for classifying this group still tend to be superficial, focusing on external features, especially those of the shell.

Venerid clams are characterized as bivalves with an external posterior ligament, usually a well demarcated anterior area known as the lunule, and three interlocking structures (called cardinal teeth) in the top of each valve; several of the subfamilies also have anterior lateral teeth, anterior to the cardinal teeth: one in the left valve, and two (sometimes obscure) in the right valve. The inner lower peripheries of the valves can be finely toothed or smooth.

Shell sculpture tends to be primarily concentric, but radial and divaricating ornamentation (see Gafrarium), and rarely spines (Pitar lupanaria for example) occur on some. One small subfamily, the Samarangiinae, is created for a unique and rare clam found in coral reefs with an outer covering of cemented sand or mud that texturally camouflages it while enhancing the thickness of the shell.

Several venerid clams have overall shell shapes adapted to their environments. Tivela species, for example, have the triangular outline of the surf clams in other bivalve families, and occur often in surf zones. Some Dosinia species are almost disc-like in shape and reminiscent of lucinid bivalves; both types of circular bivalves tend to burrow relatively deeply into the sediment.

Further reclassification is to be expected as the results of current research in molecular systematics on the group appear in the literature. Venerids have rounded or oval solid shells with the umbones (projections) inturned towards the anterior end. Three or four cardinal teeth are on each valve. The siphons are short and united, except at the tip, and are not very long. The foot is large.

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Antigona lamellaris (Lamellate Venus)
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Antigona lamellaris (Lamellate Venus)

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Antigona magnifica (Magnificent venus clam)
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Antigona magnifica (Magnificent venus clam)

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Antigona somwangi
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Antigona somwangi

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Bassina disjecta (Frilled venus shell)
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Bassina disjecta (Frilled venus shell)

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Callpita eucymata
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Callpita eucymata

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Callista erycina (Reddish venus)
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Callista erycina (Reddish venus)

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Circe scripta (Script venus)
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Circe scripta (Script venus)

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Gafrarium pectinatum (Ribbed venus)
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Gafrarium pectinatum (Ribbed venus)

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Globivenus embrithes
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Globivenus embrithes

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Hysteroconcha dione ( Elegant venus clam )
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Hysteroconcha dione ( Elegant venus clam )

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Macridiscus aequilatera
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Macridiscus aequilatera

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Meretrix lusoria (Asian hard clam)
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Meretrix lusoria (Asian hard clam)

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Placamen flindersi
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Placamen flindersi

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Placamen gravescens (Venus Clams)
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Placamen gravescens (Venus Clams)

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Placamen placidum (Placid frilled venus)
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Placamen placidum (Placid frilled venus)

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Lioconcha castrensis (Zigzag venus)
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Lioconcha castrensis (Zigzag venus)

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Lioconcha fastigiata
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Lioconcha fastigiata

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Lioconcha lorenziana (Lorenz’s pitar venus)
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Lioconcha lorenziana (Lorenz’s pitar venus)

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Paratapes undulatus (Undulate venus)
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Paratapes undulatus (Undulate venus)

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Ruditapes philippinarum (Japanese cockle)
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Ruditapes philippinarum (Japanese cockle)

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