Pterioidea is a superfamily of epifaunal marine bivalves mostly inhabiting continental shelf regions of tropical and subtropical oceans. The superfamily includes the economically-important saltwater pearl oysters as well as the oddly shaped hammer oysters (neither of which, however, is considered a true oyster). A number of species have found use as model organisms in the fields of medicine and science.[1]
It includes the following three accepted living families:
Fossil families include:
Pterioidea is a superfamily of epifaunal marine bivalves mostly inhabiting continental shelf regions of tropical and subtropical oceans. The superfamily includes the economically-important saltwater pearl oysters as well as the oddly shaped hammer oysters (neither of which, however, is considered a true oyster). A number of species have found use as model organisms in the fields of medicine and science.
It includes the following three accepted living families:
Malleidae, the hammer oysters, Lamarck, 1818 Pteriidae, the pearl oysters, tree oysters, and winged oysters, Gray, 1847 (1820) Pulvinitidae, a family of rare deep sea oysters, no common name, Stephenson, 1941Fossil families include:
Family †Aviculopectinidae Family †Bakevelliidae Family †Cassianellidae Family †Isognomonidae Family †Kochiidae Family †Pergamidiidae Family †Plicatosylidae Family †Posidoniidae Family †Pterineidae Family †Retroceramidae
