Gigantidas is a genus of large, deepwater, hydrothermal vent mussels, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Mytilidae.
Distribution and habitat Species in this genus are found on deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the southern Kermadec Ridge. These mussels form dense beds at these sites.
Description The shells of Gigantidas gladius are up to 30 cm long.
Species Species within the genus Gigantidas include: Gigantidas childressi Gigantidas coseli Saether, Little, Campbell, Marshall, Collins & Alfaro, 2010 Gigantidas gladius Cosel & Marshall, 2003 Gigantidas haimaensis Gigantidas horikoshii Hashimoto & Yamane, 2005 Gigantidas mauritanicus Gigantidas niobengalensis Gigantidas platifrons Gigantidas samario Cosel & Gracia, 2018 Gigantidas taiwanensis Cosel, 2008 Gigantidas tangaroa Cosel & B. A. Marshall, 2003 Gigantidas vrijenhoeki
References
Cosel R.von & Marshall B.A. 2003. Two new species of large mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from active submarine volcanoes and a cold seep off the eastern North Island of New Zealand, with description of a new genus. The Nautilus 117(2): 31-46
External links
hubaut, J., Puillandre, N., Faure, B., Cruaud, C. & Samadi, S. (2013). The contrasted evolutionary fates of deep-sea chemosynthetic mussels (Bivalvia, Bathymodiolinae). Ecology and Evolution