A new genus and species of Thyasiridae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from deep-water, Beaufort Sea, northern Alaska

Bivalve mollusk shells were collected in 2350 m depth in the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean off northern Alaska. Initial identification suggested the specimens were a member of the bivalve family Thyasiridae, but no known eastern Pacific or Arctic living or fossil thyasirid resembled these deep-water sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ZooKeys
Main Authors: Valentich-Scott,Paul, Powell,Charles, Lorenson,Thomas, Ewards,Brian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2014
Subjects:
Thyasiridae
Beaufort Sea
Alaska
Mollusca
Bivalvia
Maorithyas
Wallerconcha
Spinaxinus
Axinus
Parathyasira
chemoautotrophic
endosymbiosis
taxonomy
Arctic Ocean
Arctic
Pacific
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.462.6790
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/4307/
Description
Summary:Bivalve mollusk shells were collected in 2350 m depth in the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean off northern Alaska. Initial identification suggested the specimens were a member of the bivalve family Thyasiridae, but no known eastern Pacific or Arctic living or fossil thyasirid resembled these deep-water specimens. Comparisons were made with the type of the genera Maorithyas Fleming, 1950, Spinaxinus Oliver & Holmes, 2006, Axinus Sowerby, 1821, and Parathyasira Iredale, 1930. We determined the Beaufort Sea species represents a new genus, herein described as Wallerconcha. These specimens also represent a new species, herein named Wallerconcha sarae. These new taxa are compared with known modern and fossil genera and species of thyasirds.

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