Common name : jewel box clams or gem clams

Aspect : inequivalve (one valve usually more convex); shells are thick, heavy, and irregularly shaped often roughly oval or rounded; cemented to substrate (in most genera) by the left valve, right valve acts as a lid; strongly sculptured with spines, ridges, or lamellae; size ~10 cm; hinge line is short with strong teeth

Feeding : filtration of microorganisms in suspension (phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus, and organic particles)

Environment : tropical to warm-temperate waters; Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean, eastern Atlantic; intertidal to ~100 m depth, most common in shallow reefs (0–30 m); attached under overhangs, in crevices, or within coral framework on hard substrates (coral rubble, rocks, dead coral, pier pilings)