Cardita
genus of molluscs
Cardita is a genus of marine bivalve molluscs in the family Carditidae.
Naming
Especially in the early 19th century, this genus was often confused with the Carditid genus Cardites. Cardita was originally established by J.G. Bruguière in 1792. However, in 1801 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck described it under the name Cardites. J.H.F. Link subsequently described a new genus using the name Cardites in 1807. When this homonymy was realised, Megerle in 1811 re-described Link's genus Cardites as Cardita.
Megerle's action resulted in four technically valid names which formed two mutual pairs of homonyms. The matter was ultimately resolved by starting with the oldest name – that of Bruguière – and applying it as intended, and suppressing Lamarck's name so that Link's junior homonym could be used for Cardites.
In addition to the numerous junior synonyms, Byssomera – a junior synonym or subgenus of Carditamera – has sometimes been written as a subgenus of Cardita, due to its type species having been synonymised from Cardita (Byssomera) affinis to Carditamera (Byssomera) affinis.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Cardita” as genus of molluscs. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of molluscs. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3017099. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1792, 1801, 1807 and 1811.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cardita”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cardita primary sources, Cardita archive and Cardita research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cardita”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cardita” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.