Anomiidae

Anomiidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Ostreoida
Family:	Anomiidae
Genera
See text.

Anomiidae is a family of bivalves related to scallops and oysters.

The family is known by several common names, including Jingle shells, Saddle oysters, Windowpane oysters, Mermaid's toenails and Kapis shells.

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

Members of this family are distastefully bitter and not eaten. however, industrial applications include manufacture into, or as part of, glue, chalk, paint, shellac and solder. Kapis shells are made into decorative objects such as lampshades in Asia.

Taxonomy

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 squamula Linnaeus, 1758 - Prickly jingle
• Enigmonia
  
  • Enigmonia aenigmatica (Holten, 1803) - Mangrove jingle shell
    

Subfamily Placunanomiinae

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