Chione (bivalve)

{{Short description|Genus of bivalves}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Chione paphia.jpg

| image_caption = Chione paphia

| taxon = Chione (bivalve)

| authority = von Mühlfeld, 1811

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text

}}

Chione is a genus of tropical marine bivalve molluscs, in the family Veneridae, which arose in the early Miocene in the tropical Western Atlantic region. This was discovered through species-level phylogenetic reconstruction. Many branches of the Chione genus spread to tropical eastern Pacific regions, where it is most diverse today. The occurrence of the Pliocene extinction affected the Atlantic genera more than the Pacific genera, leading to the increased diversity of Chione in the Pacific compared to the Atlantic.{{Cite journal |last=Roopnarine |first=Peter D. |date=September 2001 |title=A history of diversification, extinction, and invasion in tropical America as derived from species-level phylogenies of chionine genera (Family Veneridae) |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/abs/history-of-diversification-extinction-and-invasion-in-tropical-america-as-derived-from-specieslevel-phylogenies-of-chionine-genera-family-veneridae/8CFB4F33A71E1DC1D1DD2F27A909D71D |journal=Journal of Paleontology |language=en |volume=75 |issue=5 |pages=644–657 |doi=10.1017/S0022336000039846 |bibcode=2001JPal...75..644R |issn=0022-3360|url-access=subscription }}

Predators of many Chione species include Naticid gastropods (moon snails), which drill holes into the shells of Chione to consume their soft tissues.{{Cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Laurie C. |last2=Geary |first2=Dana H. |last3=Nehm |first3=Ross H. |last4=Allmon |first4=Warren D. |date=1991-05-30 |title=A comparative study of naticid gastropod predation on Varicorbula caloosae and Chione cancellata, Plio-Pleistocene of Florida, U.S.A. |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/003101829190024L |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=29–46 |doi=10.1016/0031-0182(91)90024-L |bibcode=1991PPP....85...29A |issn=0031-0182|url-access=subscription }} Chione themselves are primarily filter feeders.

Relevance to humans

One particular species of Chione, Chione stutchburyi, has been used as a bio-indicator for lead levels. Decreases in lead inputs into a river led to a fall in lead levels in the soft tissue of this species. This knowledge may be particularly useful in assessing water quality for human consumption.

Some Chione species have also proved to be useful in paleoclimatology fields. Chione cortezi has been used to model sea surface temperatures of the areas they live in; the shell production rate of this species seems to be heavily controlled by water temperature, so their daily growth rates can be used as a proxy for daily sea surface temperatures. Modeling past climates—including temperature—is very important in scientific fields, so being able to use Chione cortezi as a proxy is very valuable.{{Cite journal |last1=Schöne |first1=Bernd R. |last2=Lega |first2=Jocelina |last3=W. Flessa |first3=Karl |last4=Goodwin |first4=David H. |last5=Dettman |first5=David L. |date=2002-08-01 |title=Reconstructing daily temperatures from growth rates of the intertidal bivalve mollusk Chione cortezi (northern Gulf of California, Mexico) |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0031018202002523 |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |volume=184 |issue=1 |pages=131–146 |doi=10.1016/S0031-0182(02)00252-3 |bibcode=2002PPP...184..131S |issn=0031-0182|url-access=subscription }}

Morphology and ecology

File:Chione_cancellata_02.jpg

Chione bivalves have a calcareous shell used mainly for defence against predators and the external environment. They are sedentary creatures who bury themselves in the first five centimeters of sediment.{{Cite journal |last1=Purchase |first1=Nigel G. |last2=Fergusson |first2=Jack E. |date=1986-01-01 |title=Chione (austrovenus) stutchburyi, a New Zealand cockle, as a Bio-indicator for lead pollution |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0143148X86900406 |journal=Environmental Pollution Series B, Chemical and Physical |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=137–151 |doi=10.1016/0143-148X(86)90040-6 |issn=0143-148X|url-access=subscription }}

Habitat and distribution

Chione species are distributed throughout Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean coastlines. Chione californiensis lives along the Eastern Pacific coastline, ranging from the California to Panama.{{Cite web |title=West Coast Venus Clams {{!}} California Sea Grant |url=https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/seafood-profiles/west-coast-venus-clams#:~:text=more%20closely%20spaced).-,Distribution,in%20Peru%20from%20limited%20records. |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=caseagrant.ucsd.edu |language=en}}

Species

Species accepted as of June 2025:{{cite WoRMS |year=2025 |title=Chione Megerle von Mühlfeld, 1811 |id=206343 |access-date=6 June 2025 |db=MolluscaBase}}

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References

  • {{ITIS |id=81517 |taxon=Chione}}
  • {{Cite journal| last=Roopnarine | first=Peter D. |author2=Geerat J. Vermeij | year=2000 | title=One species becomes two: The case of Chione cancellata, the resurrected C. elevata, and a phylogenetic analysis of Chione | journal=Journal of Molluscan Studies | volume=66| issue=4 | pages=517–534 | doi=10.1093/mollus/66.4.517| doi-access= }}

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Category:Veneridae

Category:Bivalve genera