| The marine bivalve subfamily Venerinae is an economically important group, nevertheless its classification has long been controversial. The subfamily was often synonymized with the morphologically similar subfamily Chioninae. The present study clarifies phylogenetic relationships of this group from familial- to species-level and gives a hypothesis on its historical biogeography.;The molecular study at subfamilial level showed that Venerinae and Chioninac are distinct from each other and can be discriminated by a combination of morphological characters. Venus clams with crenulations on the interior shell margin, separated siphons and an anterior lateral tooth of type I, are members of Venerinae. Clams that have crenulations on the interior margin, but fused siphons and no anterior lateral tooth are members of Chioninae.;Some morphological characters of taxa from Chioninae and Venerinae evolved in parallel and caused taxonomic uncertainties. The morphological similar but unrelated species pair, Lirophora paphia and Clausinella punctigera, was analyzed to find morphological characters for distinguishing these two taxa. Using geometric morphometrics some subtle but unambiguous morphological differences in the region of the pallial sinus were found.;Phylogenetic relationships within the Venerinae sensu stricto were investigated at species-level using molecular and morphological data and resulted in a new classification. Former chionine genera Tawera and Timoclea are reallocated into Venerinae, and former chionine genera Clausinella and Chamelea are synonymized in Venus. Using distribution and fossil data, the historical biogeography of Venerinae was studied and resulted in a hypothesis that Venerinae originated in the Tethys Sea/Indian Ocean and then dispersed into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.;A species level revision of the genus Venus resulted in the redescription of 18 Recent species. The chionine genera Chamelea and Clausinella and the monotypic genus Circomphalus are now synonymized in Venus. Venus crebrisulca Lamarck, 1818 is a senior synonym of the species Venus rosalina Rang, 1834. Lectotypes were designated for the species Venus verdensis Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906, Venus lyra Hanley, 1844, and Venus punctigera (Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906). A neotype was designated for the species Venus foliaceolamellosa Schröter, 1782. |
