[1][2] The genus is known from the Cretaceous to the recent periods (age range: from 136.4 Mya to now).

[3] The family Veneridae contains over 400 known species, many of which are attractive and popular with shell-collectors.

Characteristically, Venus clams possess a porcelain-like inner shell layer, a complex tooth structure in the hinge, well-developed escutcheon and lunule, and a well-developed pallial sinus.

Veneridae colonize the sandy ocean bottom, and their populations are often dense and large.

The Veneroida order typically has a folded gill structure which is well developed for filtering out small food particles.