Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001

Genus Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001 View in CoL

Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001: 286 View in CoL .

TYPE SPECIES. — Lucina levukana Smith, 1885 (original designation).

DIAGNOSIS. — Shells small, inflated, anteriorly extended. Sculpture of prominent commarginal lamellae with finely striated interspaces, shell surface finely punctate. Umbones prominent, lunule lanceolate, impressed. Ligament internal, short, triangular.Two cardinal teeth in left valve, one in right valve; anterior and posterior lateral teeth prominent in both valves. Pallial line discontinous. Shell margin finely crenulate.

REMARKS

This genus is distinguished from others with an internal ligament by the anteriorly extended shell, the prominent, rounded, commarginal lamellae and the strong anterior and posterior lateral teeth in both valves. On the basis of the shared character of the oblique internal ligament, we included Funafutia along with Pillucina , Wallucina and Chavania as a possible monophyletic clade ( Glover & Taylor 2001). However, molecular data (Taylor & Glover unpublished) suggests that Funafutia is unrelated to these other genera.