Los cárdidos o cardíidos (Cardiidae) son una familia de moluscos bivalvos. Varias especies de la familia son conocidas vulgarmente como berberechos, en especial la especie europea comestible (Cerastoderma edule). Sus conchas son comunes en muchas playas del mundo. Las valvas se distinguen por su simetría, acorazonadas, y, fuertes y pronunciadas costillas longitudinales. Los berberechos viven enterrados, en zonas próximas a la costa. La familia también incluye especies mucho más grandes, como las almejas gigantes. Se conocen alrededor de 200 especies, en su mayor parte nativas de los trópicos. Dentro de la fauna latinoamericana cabe destacar el berberecho conocido como Mija mija (Trachycardium muricatum), presente en las Antillas y en las costas brasileñas, uruguayas y argentinas. En el golfo de México se encuentra Dinocardium robustum, y en las costas del pacífico mexicano se encuentra Laevicardium elatum. La concha del molusco tiene tres aperturas (inhalante, exhalante, y pedal) para sifonear agua y como pie. Los berberechos se entierran en el substrato cerca de la superficie del agua, usando el pie, y se alimenta bombeando agua y filtrando plancton. Son también capaces de 'saltar' por empuje de su pie. Al contrario de muchos bivalvos, los berberechos son hermafroditas y se reproducen rápidamente. Son consumidos por muchas especies de peces de mar.

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A cockle is a small, edible, saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the family Cardiidae. True cockles live in sandy, sheltered beaches throughout the world. The distinctive rounded shells are bilaterally symmetrical, and are heart-shaped when viewed from the end. Numerous radial evenly spaced ribs are a feature of the shell in most but not all genera (for an exception, see the genus Laevicardium, the egg cockles, which have very smooth shells). The shell of a cockle is able to close completely (i.e., there is no "gape" at any point around the edge). Though the shell of a cockle may superficially resemble that of a scallop because of the ribs, cockles can be distinguished from scallops morphologically in that cockle shells lack "auricles" (triangular ear-shaped protrusions near the hinge line) and scallop shells lack a pallial sinus. Behaviorally, cockles live buried in sediment, whereas scallops are either free-living and will swim in the sea water to avoid a predator, or in some cases they live attached by a byssus to a substrate. The mantle has three apertures (inhalant, exhalant, and pedal) for siphoning water and for the foot to protrude. Cockles typically burrow using the foot, and feed by filtering plankton from the surrounding water. Cockles are capable of "jumping" by bending and straightening the foot. As is the case in many bivalves, cockles display gonochorism (the sex of an individual varies according to conditions), and some species reach maturity rapidly. The common name "cockle" is also given by seafood sellers to a number of other small, edible marine bivalves which have a somewhat similar shape and sculpture, but are in other families such as the Veneridae (Venus clams) and the ark clams. Cockles in the family Cardiidae are sometimes referred to as "true cockles" to distinguish them from these other species.

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