What is "protobranchia"

Protobranchia is a subclass of bivalve molluscs. It contains the extant orders Nuculanoida, Nuculida, and Solemyoida.

These are deep water clams of a small and primitive order with a taxodont hinge (composed of many similar, small teeth), generally with a central ligament pit, large labial palps which are used in deposit feeding and the gills used only for respiration, the anterior and posterior adductor muscles are nearly equal in size, a foot which is divided sagittally and longitudinally with papillate margins. The foot in Protobranchia clams is without a true byssus gland, although they frequently have a nonhomologous byssal gland in the heel. The byssal gland in these clams does not produce threads as in Pteriomorphia.