Pinnidae (pen shells, fan mussels) are a family of large marine bivalves with a distinctively elongated, wedge- or fan-shaped shell that tapers toward the pointed base. They live vertically embedded in sediment, with the apex anchored in sand or mud and tethered by byssal threads to buried hard objects, filtering food through enlarged gills. Some species are among the largest of all bivalves, exceeding a metre in length. The family has existed since the Carboniferous, retaining its general form almost unchanged. Their shells preserve readily as fossils, often showing the distinctive longitudinal ribbing.
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