Belongs within: Carditidae.
Venericardia is a Cenozoic genus of cockle-like bivalves. Members have a thick, inequilateral shell with numerous radial ribs that are evenly elevated when young but become flattened and enlarged with age. The shell is subquadrangular in shape in the type subgenus but more transversely elliptical in Megacardita.
Venericardia Lamarck 1801DK10
|--*V. imbricataDK10
|--V. acanthodesA27
|--V. amabilis Deshayes 1854H09
|--V. antiquataPP64
|--V. awamoaensis Harris 1879 [incl. V. pseustes Suter 1917]F27b
|--V. bimaculataBRW98
|--V. borealis [incl. Cardita subtenta]C64
|--V. capricornia Darragh & Kendrick 2010DK10
|--V. cardioides (Reeve 1843)MG-H11
|--V. cavaticaBRW98
|--V. corbisF27a
|--V. crassaC64
|--V. gracilicostataQ72
|--V. laticostataC64
|--V. lutea [=Cardita zelandica Desh. 1854 non V. zelandica Potiez & Michaud 1838; incl. V. bollonsi Suter 1907]F27a
|--V. marshalli Marwick 1924F27a
|--V. mediaH79
|--V. noetlingi Finlay 1927 [=Cardita planicostata Noetling 1901 non C. planicosta Lamarck 1806]F27b
|--V. purpurata (Deshayes 1854)P61 [incl. V. purpurata difficilisF27a, P61]
|--V. quoyiBRW98
|--V. radiataC64
|--V. reinga Powell 1933P61
|--V. rosulenta (Tate 1887)MG-H11
|--V. sowerbyiM54
|--V. subintermedia Suter 1917 [incl. Cardium (Glans) kaiparaensis Marshall 1918]F27a
|--V. urutiensis Marwick 1926F27a
|--V. ventricosaC64
`--V. zelandica Potiez & Michaud 1838F27a
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[A27] Allan, R. S. 1927. The geology and palaeontology of the Lower Waihao Basin, south Canterbury, New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 265–309.
[BRW98] Beesley, P. L., G. J. B. Ross & A. Wells (eds) 1998. Fauna of Australia vol. 5. Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Part A. Australian Biological Resources Study: Canberra.
[C64] Carpenter, P. P. 1864. Supplementary report on the present state of our knowledge with regard to the Mollusca of the west coast of North America. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 33: 517–686.
[DK10] Darragh, T. A., & G. W. Kendrick. 2010. Eocene molluscs from the Merlinleigh Sandstone, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 26 (1): 23–41.
[F27a] Finlay, H. J. 1927a. A further commentary on New Zealand molluscan systematics. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 320–485.
[F27b] Finlay, H. J. 1927b. New specific names for austral Mollusca. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 488–533.
[H79] Haast, J. von. 1879. Geology of the Provinces of Canterbury and Westland, New Zealand. A report comprising the results of official explorations. “Times” Office: Christchurch.
[H09] Hedley, C. 1909. The Marine Fauna of Queensland: Address by the President of Section D. Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science: Brisbane.
[M54] Macpherson, J. H. 1954. Molluscs (sea shells and snails). In: Willis, J. M. (ed.) The Archipelago of the Recherche pp. 55–63. Australian Geographical Society: Melbourne.
[MG-H11] McEnnulty, F. R., K. L. Gowlett-Holmes, A. Williams, F. Althaus, J. Fromont, G. C. B. Poore, T. D. O’Hara, L. Marsh, P. Kott, S. Slack-Smith, P. Alderslade & M. V. Kitahara. 2011. The deepwater megabenthic invertebrates on the western continental margin of Australia (100–1100 m depths): composition, distribution and novelty. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 80: 1–191.
[PP64] Peres, J. M., & J. Picard. 1964. Nouveau manuel de bionomie benthique de la mer Mediterranee. Recueil des Travaux de la Station Marine d’Endoume, Bulletin 31 (27): 5–137.
[P61] Powell, A. W. B. 1961. Shells of New Zealand: An illustrated handbook 4th ed. Whitcombe and Tombs Limited: Christchurch.
[Q72] Quilty, P. G. 1972. The biostratigraphy of the Tasmanian marine Tertiary. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 106: 25–44.