Little Heart Shells of the Carditidae Family are inflated, equivalve (equal size and shape) shells that can be oval, rounded rectangular, or trapezoidal in shape. They have strong, radial ribs and a long hinge with two or more cardinal teeth. They are suspension feeders, filtering plankton or fine detritus from the water. In turn they are preyed upon by crabs, carnivorous mollusks and rays.

The Little Heart Shells are found globally in both warm and cold seas and are found from shallow to moderately deep waters. There are one hundred fifty species in the Carditidae Family of which ten are found along the coastlines of the Baja Peninsula.