Limidae

The Limidae or file shells are members of the only family of bivalve molluscs in the order Limida. The family includes 130 living species, assigned to 10 genera. Widely distributed in all seas from shallow to deep waters, the species are usually epifaunal or nestling, with many species building byssal nests for protection. The majority of species are capable of irregular swimming by waving their long mantle tentacles.

Limidae

Jens Petersen · CC BY 2.5 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
file clamPBDB
Sits inside
LimoideaPBDB
Diet
suspension feederPBDB
Life habit
low-level epifaunalPBDB
Motility
stationary, attachedPBDB
Vision
blindPBDB, for Bivalvia

Time the record covers

At least 358 million years on record.

The record covers at least 358.86 Mya to 11.7 ka. No occurrence read is dated outside 372.15 Mya to 0 Mya.

Devonian — about 4 of 5051 occurrencesCarboniferous — about 42 of 5051 occurrencesCarboniferousPermian — about 186 of 5051 occurrencesPermianEarly Triassic — about 16 of 5051 occurrencesMiddle Triassic — about 257 of 5051 occurrencesLate Triassic — about 436 of 5051 occurrencesLate TriassicEarly Jurassic — about 1173 of 5051 occurrencesMiddle Jurassic — about 615 of 5051 occurrencesLate Jurassic — about 467 of 5051 occurrencesEarly Cretaceous — about 249 of 5051 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 1013 of 5051 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 55 of 5051 occurrencesEocene — about 110 of 5051 occurrencesOligocene — about 52 of 5051 occurrencesMiocene — about 172 of 5051 occurrencesPliocene — about 83 of 5051 occurrencesPleistocene — about 117 of 5051 occurrences380–367 Mya — about 0.4 occurrences367–354 Mya — about 4 occurrences354–342 Mya — about 1 occurrence342–329 Mya — about 4 occurrences329–316 Mya — about 10 occurrences316–304 Mya — about 16 occurrences304–291 Mya — about 21 occurrences291–278 Mya — about 10 occurrences278–266 Mya — about 18 occurrences266–253 Mya — about 124 occurrences253–240 Mya — about 227 occurrences240–228 Mya — about 219 occurrences228–215 Mya — about 94 occurrences215–202 Mya — about 160 occurrences202–190 Mya — about 623 occurrences190–177 Mya — about 565 occurrences177–164 Mya — about 420 occurrences164–152 Mya — about 494 occurrences152–139 Mya — about 205 occurrences139–127 Mya — about 83 occurrences127–114 Mya — about 67 occurrences114–101 Mya — about 75 occurrences101–89 Mya — about 148 occurrences89–76 Mya — about 123 occurrences76–63 Mya — about 768 occurrences63–51 Mya — about 54 occurrences51–38 Mya — about 46 occurrences38–25 Mya — about 82 occurrences25–13 Mya — about 129 occurrences13–0 Mya — about 261 occurrences358.86 Mya11.7 ka380 Mya0 Mya

5,051 occurrences of Limidae on record, most of them in the Early Jurassic. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

5,051 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

752 formations

Chari — 23.30°N, 69.97°EChari — 23.67°N, 69.00°EChari — 23.50°N, 70.50°EPrairie Bluff — 34.51°N, 88.92°WPrairie Bluff — 34.25°N, 88.97°WPrairie Bluff — 33.89°N, 88.96°WPrairie Bluff — 33.79°N, 88.97°WPrairie Bluff — 33.79°N, 88.91°WPrairie Bluff — 33.50°N, 88.81°WPrairie Bluff — 33.05°N, 88.56°WPrairie Bluff — 32.90°N, 88.46°WPrairie Bluff — 34.48°N, 88.98°WPrairie Bluff — 33.73°N, 88.90°WPrairie Bluff — 32.73°N, 88.30°WPrairie Bluff — 32.74°N, 88.36°WPrairie Bluff — 32.70°N, 88.17°WPrairie Bluff — 32.63°N, 88.22°WPrairie Bluff — 32.43°N, 88.04°WPrairie Bluff — 32.39°N, 87.92°WPrairie Bluff — 32.23°N, 87.50°WPrairie Bluff — 32.14°N, 87.42°WPrairie Bluff — 32.07°N, 87.33°WPrairie Bluff — 32.05°N, 86.99°WPrairie Bluff — 32.05°N, 86.81°WPrairie Bluff — 31.97°N, 86.72°WPrairie Bluff — 32.00°N, 86.48°WPrairie Bluff — 31.98°N, 86.00°WPrairie Bluff — 31.98°N, 85.92°WCassian — 46.68°N, 12.15°ECassian — 46.54°N, 11.62°ECassian — 46.55°N, 12.15°ECassian — 46.64°N, 12.20°ECassian — 46.52°N, 11.96°ECassian — 46.54°N, 12.25°ECassian — 46.55°N, 11.93°ECassian — 46.57°N, 11.94°ECassian — 46.52°N, 12.10°ECassian — 46.51°N, 11.76°ECorsicana Marl — 33.51°N, 94.67°WCorsicana Marl — 33.10°N, 95.99°WCorsicana Marl — 32.22°N, 96.31°WCorsicana Marl — 30.94°N, 96.95°WCorsicana Marl — 30.81°N, 97.10°WCorsicana Marl — 30.38°N, 97.49°WCorsicana Marl — 30.37°N, 97.45°WCorsicana Marl — 30.34°N, 97.51°WCorsicana Marl — 30.20°N, 97.62°WCorsicana Marl — 29.95°N, 97.71°WCorsicana Marl — 29.83°N, 97.84°WCorsicana Marl — 29.80°N, 97.89°WCorsicana Marl — 29.72°N, 97.90°WCorsicana Marl — 29.60°N, 98.03°WCorsicana Marl — 29.63°N, 98.54°WCorsicana Marl — 29.59°N, 98.08°WCorsicana Marl — 29.49°N, 98.19°WCorsicana Marl — 29.44°N, 98.56°WCorsicana Marl — 29.65°N, 98.38°WCorsicana Marl — 29.37°N, 98.78°WCorsicana Marl — 29.48°N, 98.81°WCorsicana Marl — 29.35°N, 98.88°WCorsicana Marl — 29.42°N, 98.49°WDhruma — 24.23°N, 46.58°EDhruma — 23.20°N, 46.33°EDhruma — 22.62°N, 46.00°EDhruma — 22.53°N, 46.17°EDhruma — 23.97°N, 46.17°EDhruma — 25.05°N, 45.67°EDhruma — 25.53°N, 45.00°EDhruma — 26.92°N, 44.00°EDhruma — 25.17°N, 45.50°EDhruma — 25.37°N, 45.00°EDhruma — 25.78°N, 45.25°EDhruma — 23.97°N, 46.00°EDhruma — 25.37°N, 45.50°EDhruma — 25.70°N, 45.67°EDhruma — 25.97°N, 45.00°EDhruma — 26.20°N, 44.83°EDhruma — 26.33°N, 44.83°ERoca — 37.07°S, 67.77°WRoca — 37.56°S, 69.85°WRoca — 37.54°S, 69.87°WRoca — 37.55°S, 69.83°WRoca — 35.68°S, 69.67°WRoca — 35.83°S, 69.67°WRoca — 35.43°S, 69.73°WQingyan — 26.33°N, 106.68°EQingyan — 26.92°N, 108.73°EQingyan — 26.35°N, 106.70°EProvidence — 31.91°N, 86.17°WProvidence — 31.97°N, 86.00°WProvidence — 31.92°N, 85.82°WProvidence — 31.89°N, 85.70°WProvidence — 31.95°N, 85.68°WProvidence — 31.92°N, 85.35°WProvidence — 31.94°N, 86.11°WProvidence — 31.84°N, 85.22°WProvidence — 31.73°N, 85.12°WProvidence — 31.77°N, 85.13°WProvidence — 31.80°N, 85.00°WProvidence — 31.96°N, 85.45°WProvidence — 31.89°N, 85.21°WTurmiel Fm — 40.40°N, 1.50°WKap Leslie — 70.48°N, 21.97°WBlue Lias — 50.00°N, 2.00°WBlue Lias — 51.00°N, 3.00°WBlue Lias — 51.17°N, 3.27°WBlue Lias — 51.41°N, 3.17°WBlue Lias — 50.71°N, 2.96°WBarahona Limestone — 41.93°N, 3.15°WBarahona Limestone — 40.67°N, 1.20°WCalcaire a gryphees — 48.00°N, 6.00°ENayband — 32.38°N, 57.41°ENayband — 32.50°N, 57.35°ENayband — 32.40°N, 57.45°ENayband — 33.00°N, 57.00°ENayband — 32.35°N, 57.45°EFlat Top — 24.85°S, 150.12°EFlat Top — 24.76°S, 150.13°EFlat Top — 24.68°S, 150.15°ECarmel — 37.70°N, 113.05°WCarmel — 37.70°N, 113.05°WCarmel — 37.59°N, 113.06°WCarmel — 37.51°N, 113.13°WCarmel — 37.48°N, 113.17°WCarmel — 37.26°N, 112.85°WCarmel — 37.35°N, 113.33°WCarmel — 37.21°N, 113.30°WCarmel — 37.25°N, 113.52°WCarmel — 37.27°N, 113.78°WCarmel — 39.17°N, 110.73°WCarmel — 39.12°N, 110.75°WCarmel — 39.12°N, 110.75°WCarmel — 39.05°N, 110.87°WCarmel — 38.33°N, 111.52°WCarmel — 38.10°N, 111.93°WCarmel — 37.27°N, 112.52°WCarmel — 37.27°N, 112.64°WCarmel — 37.25°N, 112.67°WCarmel — 37.22°N, 112.68°WCarmel — 37.25°N, 112.83°WPeedee — 33.91°N, 79.45°WPeedee — 33.83°N, 79.25°WPeedee — 34.27°N, 77.95°WPeedee — 35.77°N, 78.64°WKossen — 47.78°N, 13.80°EKossen — 47.66°N, 12.45°EKossen — 47.57°N, 11.77°EKossen — 47.75°N, 14.73°EKossen — 47.67°N, 12.70°EKossen — 47.55°N, 12.17°EKossen — 47.58°N, 12.57°ELower Lias — 51.80°N, 1.88°WChiwapa — 34.63°N, 88.85°WChiwapa — 34.60°N, 88.95°WChiwapa — 34.46°N, 88.90°WChiwapa — 34.38°N, 88.98°WChiwapa — 34.36°N, 88.93°WChiwapa — 34.21°N, 88.98°WChiwapa — 34.04°N, 88.93°WChiwapa — 34.25°N, 88.96°Wopoka — 51.32°N, 21.95°Eopoka — 51.15°N, 21.72°Eopoka — 51.00°N, 21.00°Eopoka — 51.13°N, 21.77°EWhitby Mudstone — 54.45°N, 0.57°WLadd — 33.70°N, 117.60°WLadd — 33.75°N, 117.64°WTwin Creek Limestone — 44.00°N, 108.00°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.63°N, 110.90°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.32°N, 110.70°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.32°N, 110.61°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.17°N, 110.83°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.10°N, 110.84°WTwin Creek Limestone — 41.98°N, 110.85°WTwin Creek Limestone — 41.51°N, 111.30°WTwin Creek Limestone — 39.97°N, 111.52°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.43°N, 111.26°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.16°N, 110.46°WTwin Creek Limestone — 40.51°N, 111.36°WTwin Creek Limestone — 43.63°N, 111.27°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.51°N, 110.51°WTwin Creek Limestone — 42.34°N, 110.50°WTwin Creek Limestone — 40.41°N, 110.83°WTwin Creek Limestone — 43.27°N, 111.30°WTwin Creek Limestone — 43.66°N, 111.33°W

Loading coastlines…

The named rock units Limidae has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 728 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 1,753 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Limidae and its relatives

Early Jurassic

Where Limidae and its relatives were recorded in the Early Jurassic.

Found in the same rock

1,572 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 1,169 sites for Limidae, and this reads 240 of them. Of that, one read hit the database's own return limit, so every count below is a floor rather than a total. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

859 references

Each of the 5,051 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 847 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content1

Picture of Limidae

Credit
Jens Petersen
Licence
CC BY 2.5
Commercial use
the licence allows it

No 3D scan of Limidae was found in MorphoSource and Sketchfab.

Smithsonian Open Access was not reached for this taxon, so this list is what the others held rather than everything there is.

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

Everything alive alongside itLimoidea through timeFormations of the Early JurassicThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Rafinesque 1815