Mactridae
Family of bivalves

Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida.
01Description
These clams have two short siphons, each with a horny sheath. The shell is shaped like a rounded-cornered equilateral triangle and there is a slight gape at the posterior. Each valve bears two cardinal teeth with four lateral teeth on the right valve and two on the left. The foot is white and wedge-shaped. They mostly inhabit the neritic zone.

02Ecology
Trough shells burrow in sand or fine gravel and never in muddy substrates.

03Subfamilies and genera
According to the World Register of Marine Species (2025), this family contains 56 genera and is split into the following subfamilies:
Subfamily Darininae
Subfamily Lutrariinae
- Eastonia J. E. Gray, 1853
- Heterocardia Deshayes, 1855
- Lutraria Lamarck, 1799
- Meropesta Iredale, 1929
- Standella J. E. Gray, 1853
- Tresus J. E. Gray, 1853
- Zenatia J. E. Gray, 1853
- Zenatina Gill & Darragh, 1963
Subfamily Mactrinae
- †Allomactra Tomlin, 1931
- Austromactra Iredale, 1930
- Barymactra Cossmann, 1909
- Coelomactra Dall, 1895
- Crassula Marwick, 1948
- Cyclomactra Dall, 1895
- Diaphoromactra Iredale, 1930
- Harvella J. E. Gray, 1853
- Huberimactra Cosel & Gofas, 2018
- Leptospisula Dall, 1895
- Mactra Linnaeus, 1767
- Mactrella J. E. Gray, 1853
- Mactrellona J. G. Marks, 1951
- Mactrinula J. E. Gray, 1853
- Mactromeris Conrad, 1868
- Mactrotoma Dall, 1894
- Maorimactra H. J. Finlay, 1928
- Mulinia J. E. Gray, 1837
- Oxyperas Mörch, 1853
- †Pseudocardium Gabb, 1866
- Rangia Desmoulins, 1832
- †Sarmatimactra Korobkov, 1954
- Scalpomactra H. J. Finlay, 1928
- Scissodesma Gray, 1837
- Simomactra Dall, 1894
- Spisula J. E. Gray, 1837
- Trinitasia Maury, 1928
- Tumbeziconcha Pilsbry & Olsson, 1935
- Mactrona Marwick, 1952
- Petromactra Saul, 1973
Subfamily Resaniinae
- Resania J. E. Gray, 1853
Subfamily Tanysiphoninae
- Tanysiphon W. H. Benson, 1858
Incertae sedis
- †Aktschagylia Starobogatov, 1970
- †Aliomactra Stephenson, 1952
- †Andrussella Korobkov, 1954
- †Avimactra Andrusov, 1905
- †Caspimactra A. A. Ali-Zade & Kabakova, 1969
- †Chersonimactra Paramonova, 1978
- †Cryptomactra Andrussow, 1902
- †Cymbophora Gabb, 1869
- †Eopapyrina Woodring, 1982
- †Geltena Stephenson, 1946
- †Ionesimactra Signorelli, 2023
- †Kirghizella Andrusov, 1902
- †Mactrodesma Conrad, 1869
- Mactrona Marwick, 1952
- †Mulinoides Olsson, 1944
- †Nelltia Stephenson, 1952
- †Nymphactra Stilwell & Zinsmeister, 1992
- †Ovamactra Woodring, 1982
- Petromactra Saul, 1973
- †Planimactra Ionesi, 1986
- †Podolimactra Ionesi, 1986
- †Praerangia Cossmann, 1908
- †Priscomactra Stephenson, 1952
- †Pseudomactra Steklov, 1960
- †Pteroluter Saul, 1973
- †Stereomactra Stewart, 1930
- †Stiphromactra Böhm, 1929
- †Tenuimactra Garvie, 1996
- †Willimactra Saul, 1973
- †Zenatiopsis Tate, 1880
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Mactridae”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Spisula solida.jpg by Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mactra corallina.jpg by Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lutraria lutraria2.jpg by Jan Johan ter Poorten, CC BY-SA 3.0
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