[2] Solemyids are remarkable in that their digestive tract is either extremely small or non-existent, and their feeding appendages are too short to reach outside the shell.

[3] It has been shown that these clams host sulphur-oxidizing bacteria intracellularly within their gill filaments.

[4][5] In turn, the animal host provides its symbionts a habitat in which they have access to the substrates of chemoautotrophy (O2, CO2, and reduced inorganic compounds such as H2S).

Together, these partners create "animals" with novel metabolic capabilities.

The family Solemyidae includes two genera and the following species: