Shell small, inequivalve, slightly inequilateral. « The hinge consists of a conical, protruding, curved tooth, received in a dimple or notch in the opposite valve. » – J.-C. Chenu: Manuel de conchyliologie et paléontologie conchlyliologique vol.II, Paris 1862, p.32.
 

« Shell inequivalve, subtriangular, flattened. Hinge: one cardinal in each valve, simple in the right, folded in the left. Ligament partially internal. » – de Cristofori & Jan: Catalogus in quatuor sectiones divisus rerum naturalium in museo exstantium Josephi de Cristofori et Georgii Jan, sect.2, Milano 1832, Mantissa p.4.
 

For the genus Corbula, Iredale wrote: « Shell small, crass, semiglobose, right valve very convex, clasping the left valve which is less swollen, umbones approximate, beak or snout short and stout. » – T. Iredale: “More notes on the marine Mollusca of New South Wales”, Records of the Australian Museum vol.17(9), Syndey 1930, p.404. The sculpture, which is made of commarginal striae or folds, is of equal strength on both valves. But, as, in the gibba group, the right valve bears a much stronger sculpture than the left one, Grant & Gale (1931) proposed the name Varicorbula for this gibba group in which the sculpture is variable. This is in “Catalogue of the marine Pliocene and Pleistocene Mollusca of California and adjacent region”, Memoirs of the San Diego Society of Natural Historyvol.1, San Diego 1931, p.420, end of footnote 1.