Vesicomyid clams are bivalve mollusks that are found in sulphide-rich reducing environments such as cold seeps at continental margins and hydrothermal vents along mid-ocean ridges, as well as in association with organic remains such as whale falls. Many (possibly all) vesicomyid species live in symbiosis with sulphur-oxidizing bacteria in their gills. These clams range in size from much less than a centimeter to more than 30 cm. Various species have been collected throughout the oceans at depths ranging from around 100 m to more than 9000 m. Krylova and Sahling have reviewed the taxonomy and distribution of the Vesicomyidae. (Krylova and Sahling 2010 and references therein)
