| Acanthocardia aculeata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Lofoten, Norway & British Isles to W. Morocco, Mediterranean. Original taxon: Cardium aculeatum. Subtidal to 100m deep. 20m deep, Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 91mm. |
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| An uncommon species, scarce in NE. Atlantic. The spines can reach impressive sizes. This muddy specimen comes from the gulf of Brest, W. Brittany, NW. France. 91mm. |
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| Adult specimen drawn in Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique… — Histoire naturelle des Vers — Atlas vol. II, Paris 1827, via BHL. |
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| Above and below: from Gulf of Brest again. |
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| This is the form “alba” Philippi. 60mm. |
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| Young specimen. The shape is rather different, but the teeth, the spines, the ribs are those of aculeata. – Beachstormed, entrance of Ayrolles lagoon, south of Gruissan-Plage, Aude, Occitania, S. France. 35mm. |
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| Same spot, young shells. 33-50mm. |
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| Same spot, subadult shells. 63-65mm. |
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| Same spot, adult shell. 80mm. |
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| 12m deep, on muddy sand, Saronic Gulf, SE. Greece. 80mm. Original picture provided by P. Ovalis (GR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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| 5-10m deep, Omiš, east of Duće, Dugi Rat municipality, Split-Dalmatia Comitat, S. Croatia. 100mm. Original picture provided by N. Lete (HR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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| A specimen from Pag island, N. Croatia. 88,4mm. Original pictures provided by D. Šindrbálová (CZ). – (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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| A large specimen from Port-Barcarès, Eastern Pyrenees, S. France. Size about 90mm. |
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| Comparison between aculeata (1-2) and echinata (5-4) in G. S. Poli: Testacea utriusque Siciliae… pl. XVII. |
| — back to Cardiidae — |