Malleidae

Hammer clam Malleus malleus with attached thorny oyster Spondylus sp., from here.

Belongs within: Pterioida.

The Malleidae, hammer clams, are a group of subequivalve or inequivalve bivalves with irregularly-shaped shells.

Characters (from Cox et al. 1969): Shell subequivalve or inequivalve, irregular in form but not cemented by either valve, with or without byssus; valve margins commonly gaping or irregularly notched posteriorly; ligamental area trianglar, internal to external, partly or almost wholly occupied by median triangular pit; mostly monomyarian in adult stage; inner ostracum nacreous.

<==Malleidae [Vulsellidae]
    |--Vulsella Röding 1798 DK08
    |    |--V. laevigata Tate 1886 DK08
    |    |--V. spongiarium M54
    |    `--V. vulsella (Linne 1758) [=Mya vulsella] H09
    `--Malleus MG-H11
         |--M. albus Lamarck 1819 MG-H11
         |--M. legumen Reeve 1858 H09
         |--M. malleus (Linne 1758) [=Ostrea malleus] H09
         |--M. meridianus M54
         `--M. regula (Forsskål 1775) MG-H11

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Cox, L. R., N. D. Newell et al. 1969. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology pt N. Bivalvia vol. 1. The Geological Society of America, Inc. and The University of Kansas.

[DK08] Darragh, T. A., & G. W. Kendrick. 2008. Silicified Eocene molluscs from the Lower Murchison district, Southern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 24 (3): 217–246.

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

[M54] Macpherson, J. H. 1954. Molluscs (sea shells and snails). In: Willis, J. M. (ed.) The Archipelago of the Recherche pp. 55–63. Australian Geographical Society: Melbourne.

[MG-H11] McEnnulty, F. R., K. L. Gowlett-Holmes, A. Williams, F. Althaus, J. Fromont, G. C. B. Poore, T. D. O’Hara, L. Marsh, P. Kott, S. Slack-Smith, P. Alderslade & M. V. Kitahara. 2011. The deepwater megabenthic invertebrates on the western continental margin of Australia (100–1100 m depths): composition, distribution and novelty. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 80: 1–191.