Bernardinidae Keen, 1969

Bernardinidae Keen, 1969

Coan (1984) redescribed and properly figured Bernardina bakeri Dall, 1910 , the type species of Bernardina , considering this family as belonging to Cyamioidea . However, this species has a hinge plate and ligament that are not in agreement with those described above for cyamioideans, but closely resemble those present in Neolepton (compare Coan, 1984: figs. 2a, 2b with Salas & Gofas, 1998: fig 1, 2 or Zelaya & Ituarte, 2004: fig. 2). In fact, Bieler et al. (2010) regarded Bernardinidae as a synonym of Neoleptonidae . Contrary to Neolepton species, B. bakeri has massive anterior (instead of posterior) lateral teeth. This difference could justify considering Bernardina as a different (valid) neoleptonid genus. However, as stated by Salas & Gofas (1998), the study of living specimens of B. bakeri is needed to confirm its correct systematic position.

The same hinge morphology as B. bakeri is present in Bernardina margarita (Carpenter, 1857) and Psephis salmonea Carpenter, 1864 (figured by Coan, 1984: figs 4a, 10a, b, respectively). Morton (2015) provided detailed anatomical information for the last of these species (referred under the genus Neolepton ). In general, the anatomy of that species closely resembles that of Neolepton species (properly described by Salas & Gofas, 1998). However, Bernardina salmonea differs clearly by having a byssus gland and byssus groove that remain well developed in large specimens (absent in the adults of Neolepton ) and by the fact that brooding specimens show the abfrontal cells of the ctenidial filaments greatly glandularized(a condition thus far not observed in any Neolepton species). The last condition seems to be related to the fact that B. salmonea brood their embryos in the ctenidia, whereas in Neolepton concentricum (Preston, 1912) and Neolepton cobbi ( Cooper & Preston, 1910) the larvae overgo their entire development attached to the external shell margin ( Zelaya & Ituarte, 2004 and Ituarte & Presta, 2017, respectively). These anatomical and reproductive differences provide additional evidence to suggest that Bernardina is a distinct genus of Neoleptonidae .