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 II, Charles L., Lorenson, Thomas D., Ewards, Brian E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Animalia
Mollusca
Bivalvia
Lucinoida
Thyasiroidea
ThyasiridaeCephalornis
Wiwaxia
Pinctada
Heterodonta
Carditoidea
Lucinoidea
ThyasiridaeAnimalia
MolluscaAnimalia
Thyasiridae
Beaufort Sea
Alaska
Maorithyas
Wallerconcha
Spinaxinus
Axinus
Parathyasira
chemoautotrophic
endosymbiosis
taxonomy
Arctic Ocean
Arctic
Pacific
Online Access:https://zenodo.org/record/578644
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.462.6790
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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