Carditidae is a neglected and poorly classified family.[1][2] It has six subfamilies recognised by the World Register of Marine Species, but the WoRMS has refrained from assigning contents to any family due to ambiguity and overlap in their definitions.[3][2] Additionally, several genera have been or are still considered subgenera of other genera by some authors.
Genera
The genera of Carditidae recognised by the World Register of Marine Species as of April 2019[update] are:
Arcturella Chavan, 1941 is a junior synonym of Arcturellina. It is not to be confused with Arcturella Sars, 1879, which is a junior synonym of the isopod genus Astacilla.
Azarella is a junior synonym of Beguina.
Agaria, Cardiocardites [sic] and Divergidens are junior synonyms of Cardiocardita.
Actinobolus Mörch, 1853 is a junior synonym of Cardites. It is not to be confused with the rhinoceros beetle genus Actinobolus Westwood, 1842.
Ceropsis Dall, 1871 is a junior synonym of Milneria. It should not be confused with the true weevil genus Ceropsis.
Miodon Carpenter, 1863 is a junior synonym of Miodontiscus. It should not be confused with Miodon Duméril, 1859, which is a junior synonym of the mole viper genus Polemon.
Notes:
In some classifications, Bathycardita is a subgenus of Cardiocardita.[4]
In some classifications, Centrocardita is a subgenus of Glans.[5]
In some classifications, Claibornicardia is a subgenus of either Glyptoactis or Venericardia.[6]
In some classifications, Vimentum is a subgenus of Cyclocardia.[7]
In some classifications prior to the 2000s, Carditella was included in Carditidae,[8] but it has since been moved to Condylocardiidae,[9] along with its former junior synonym/subgenus (now independent genus) Carditellona.[10]
Increasingly in several 2010s classifications, the subgenus Venericardia (†Baluchicardia) Rutsch and Schenck 1943[11] is considered an independent genus.[1][12][13]
Subfamilies
Chavan, 1969
The original six-subfamily system was first proposed by Chavan in 1969, contain the following genera (some of which are now synonyms or classified in other families):[1]
In some classifications prior to the 2000s, Carditidae used to contain a seventh subfamily Carditellinae, until it was reallocated to Condylocardiidae.[8]
