Psammobia

Valves of Gari castrensis [=Psammobia castrensis], from here.

Belongs within: Heterodonta.

Treated by Willan (1993) as a subgenus of Gari (the sunset shells), Psammobia is a cosmopolitan assemblage of tellinoid bivalves.

Characters (from Willan 1993): Moderate-sized psammobiids with thin to moderately thick shells; inequilateral, umbones displaced anteriorly; inequivalve with right valve more convex; posterior ridge usually distinct on right valve at least. Valves with weak concentric cords across anterior and central areas; strong concentric striae over posterior slope of right valve at least. Right valve with 2, approximately equal, oblique, diverging cardinals, the rear one deeply bifid. Left valve with a weak lunular projection in front of teeth; dentition consisting of a single, vertically directed, deeply bifid anterior cardinal tooth and a short, oblique lamella representing posterior cardinal tooth. Pallial sinus moderately deep, relatively broad, lower limb confluent with pallial line for its entire length. Interior with purplish glaze.

<==Psammobia
    |--P. anomala Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. castrensis (Spengler 1794) [=Solen castrensis] H09
    |--P. flabellum Viader 1951 L96
    |--P. gracilenta Smith 1884 H09
    |--P. lessoni Blainville 1826 H09
    |--P. marmorea Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. modesta Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. ornata Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. praestans Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. pulcherrima Deshayes 1855 H09
    |--P. rasilis Melvill & Standen 1899 H09
    `--P. zonalis (Lamarck 1818) [=Psammotaea zonalis] H09

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[H09] Hedley, C. 1909. The Marine Fauna of Queensland: Address by the President of Section D. Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science: Brisbane.

[L96] Loch, I. 1996. Notice: R. Viader collection. Molluscan Research 17: 110.

Willan, R. C. 1992. Taxonomic revision of the family Psammobiidae (Bivalvia: Tellinoidea) in the Australian and New Zealand region. Records of the Australian Museum Supplement 18: 1-132.