Margaritiferidae

Margaritiferidae
Separated valves of a shell of Margaritifera margaritifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Palaeoheterodonta
Order: Unionoida
Family: Margaritiferidae
Haas, 1940
Genera

8, See text for genera.

Margaritiferidae is a family of medium-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the order Unionoida.[1][2] They are known as freshwater pearl mussels, because the interior of the shell of these species has a thick layer of nacre or mother of pearl, and the mussels are thus capable of producing pearls.

Genera

Genera within the family Margaritiferidae include:

References

  1. Margaritiferidae.  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 4 January 2012.
  2. Huber, Markus (2010). Compendium of Bivalves. A Full-color Guide to 3'300 of the World's Marine Bivalves. A Status on Bivalvia after 250 Years of Research. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. pp. 901 pp. + CD. ISBN 978-3-939767-28-2.
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