A family of small bivalve mollusks (clams and similar shells) found in marine and brackish waters worldwide.
Named after the goddess Astarte by taxonomists, likely chosen for its euphonious or classical appeal. The scientific suffix '-idae' indicates a family classification.
Scientists naming creatures after goddesses shows how classical education shaped science—for a few hundred years, you couldn't be a naturalist without reading ancient mythology in the original Latin and Greek.
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