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2 Format The Classification summarizes the systematic ar­ rangement of the supraspecific taxa and serves as a general guide and index to the Systematic Cata­ logue that follows. The arrangement reflects in­ ferred phylogenetic relationships based on the cur­ rent concepts of systematic relationships within the Bivalvia. The arrangement used here is based upon the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology (Moore 1969-1971) but with some rearrangements reflected in recent researches, e.g., Boss ( 1982). Bivalve sys­ tematics, particularly at the family and higher lev­ els, is still in a period of consolidation of the much expanded suite of information currently available, which now must consider shell ultrastructure, ana­ tomical details, protein chemistry, as well as pal­ aeontological history. While systematic arrange­ ments based on single criteria may lead to a func­ tional arrangement, it is obvious that multi-charac­ ter classifications may better reflect phylogeny and the mosaic of modem advanced features and more ancient retained characters. The species identified are listed alphabetically for each genus and arranged under current binomen. This is followed by the original combination, to­ gether with author's name, date of publication, and page number where it appeared. Effort is made to distinguish between authors with identical names by use of initials, and numbers where several au­ thors share the same name and initials. The known synonyms are listed, but no attempt is made to cite subsequent usage. Subspecies and geographic vari­ ants are not accorded separate entries but are, if formally named, merged in the synonymy. Bathymetric ranges and substrate types are noted where possible. The geographic distribution is given by large general areas noted from south to north, as collecting coverage is still too arbitrary to be cited by either latitude or some other more de­ tailed means. A large number of the species identified have a wide Indo-Pacific range and may be recorded from Australia or the Red Sea, as well as China. Some uncertainty surrounds the use of species known from the North Atlantic and the west coast of Cen­ tral America. It has not been possible to undertake critical comparisons during the preparation of this INTRODUCTION catalogue and so species with either unlikely or anomalous distributions are listed with a note and a query. Such queries include the following spe­ cies: Lithophaga calyculata (Carpenter, 1857); Nucula tenuis (Montagu, 1808); Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758; Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758); Scapharca labiosa (Sowerby, 1833) and Musculus marmoratus (Forbes, 1838). The major reason for the compilation of this catalogue is to provide a comprehensive list of ap­ proximately 3500 taxa and binomina as a primary resource for taxonomists working in the region. The bibliography lists all the identified primary literature describing species; significant distribu­ tional literature is also included. In all, over 1 140 species are listed and are representative of tropi­ cal, temperate and cold boreal communities. Biogeography The territorial waters of China have a complex biogeography, involving the intermixing of temperate and tropical species, as well as relict sub-boreal species. The physical geography and dominant oceanic currents interplay to increase this complexity so that the provinciality of the Chinese mainland coast is separated entirely from the offshore island arc, resulting in an overlapping distribution such that, offshore, tropical species extend far northwards. Place names referred to in the text are identified in Figure 2 and the continental shelf of China, assumed to terminate at the 200 m isobath, is shown in Figure 3. Mainland China extends from 200N to 40oN, forming a coastline approximately 18,000 km in length, with clear latitudinal provincial gradients and effects from the major rivers entering the sea. Seasonal thermal and salinity regimes are the major criteria establishing shoreline and shallow shelf zone provinciality. The summer and winter maxima of surface water temperatures are shown in Figure 4A (Summer) and Figure 4B (Winter). Under the influence of the Northeast Monsoon, coastal currents move south during the winter, cooling the entire nearshore zone. Flow is reversed in summer under the influence of the Southeast Monsoon. The dominant feature in the north is the CHINESE MARINE BIVALVIA Figure 2. Map of China and adjacent regions showing the location of place names identified in the text. Figure 3. Map of China and adjacent regions showing the extent of the continental shelf (shaded). (After, General Bathymetric Mapofthe Oceans. International Hydrographic Organization). Korean Peninsula, isolating the Yellow Sea from the Sea of Japan and limiting the influx of currents from the south. At the head of the Yellow Sea is...

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