Anomiidae

Anomiidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Ostreoida
Family:	Anomiidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genera and species
7 genera, See text.

Anomiidae is a family of bivalve molluscs related to scallops and oysters, and known as anomiids. It contains seven genera.

The family is known by several common names, including jingle shells, saddle oysters and mermaid's toenails.

Description

Anomiids have extremely thin, translucent, paper-like shells. There is often a hole in the lower shell, caused by growth of the shell around the byssus. The shell follows the shape of the object it lies on - usually a rock or a large shell of another creature.

Uses

The flesh of members of this family is distastefully bitter and is not eaten. However, industrial uses of the shell include manufacture into, or as part of, glue, chalk, paint, shellac and solder. Capiz shells, the shells of Placuna placenta, the windowpane oyster, are made into decorative objects such as lampshades, in Asia.

Genera and species

Genera and species in the family Anomiidae include:

Subfamily Anomiinae

• Anomia
  • Anomia chinensis Philippi, 1849 - Chinese jingle shell
  • Anomia ephippium Linnaeus, 1758 - European jingle shell
  • Anomia peruviana d'Orbigny, 1846 - Peruvian jingle
  • Anomia simplex d'Orbigny, 1842 - Common jingle
  • Anomia trigonopsis Hutton, 1877 - New Zealand jingle
• Enigmonia
  • Enigmonia aenigmatica (Holten, 1803) - Mangrove jingle shell
• Heteranomia
  • Heteranomia squamula (Linnaeus, 1758) - Prickly jingle

Subfamily Placunanomiinae

• Monia
  • Monia macroschisma (Deshayes, 1839)
  • Monia umbonata - False jingle shell
  • Monia zelandica - (Gray, 1843)
• Patro
  • Patro australis
  • Patro undatus
• Placuna
  • Placuna placenta (Linnaeus, 1758) - Windowpane oyster or Capiz shell
• Pododesmus
  • Pododesmus cepio
  • Pododesmus patelliformis Linnaeus, 1761
  • Pododesmus rudis (Broderip, 1834) - False Atlantic jingle