Beschreibung (Langtext)

A Taxonomic Iconography of Living Cardiidae represents over 30 years of collecting and studying the bivalve family of heart cockles. This meticulous work documents each of the nearly 300 species known worldwide. For all species, the known geographic distribution is plotted on a map, based on over 23,500 documented and verified cardiid records originating from various global institutions, the author's personal collection and other collections. All species are elaborately illustrated on 238 full colour plates, supplemented with 615 photos showing shell details. In total, this book contains about 6,000 images of cockles. The taxonomic treatment encompasses the main type data, comprehensive summaries of the key characters and extensive literature references. Additional remarks address shell morphology, comparisons with other species, ancestral species, ecological preferences and phylogenetic analyses. The introduction provides a broader context for the family, describing the fossil history, shell and animal characteristics, diversity patterns and ongoing phylogenetic research.