Barbatia barbata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mediterranean, Algarve to NW. Morocco. Abundant in the west, less common in the east. Intertidal to 300m deep. Attached to hard substract by a byssus that passes through a ventral gape. In the oldest specimens, the shape of the ventral margin is markedly adapted to the relief of the substract on which these animals live. Original taxon: Arca barbata. – Above: 2m deep, under stones, among the emergences of Šipun cave, northern shore of Rat peninsula, Tiha Bay, Cavtat, S. Croatia.
Synonyms: bonnaniana Risso, reticulata Turton.
3-5m deep, on cliffs, Frioul island, Marseille, Provence, S. France. 41-48mm.
« Summits a little prominent, rather close-set, separated by a narrow, bevelled cardinal area. » – Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus: Les mollusques marins du Roussillon vol. II, Paris 1887-1898, p.183. Due to its dense pilosity, the shell is never colonized by sponges such as the Crambe crambe that is commonly found on Arca noae. Original drawing created by J. Higueras Gimenez (ES) – (CC BY-NC-ND).
Juvenile from 50m deep, on bottom of coral and gorgonians, Scilla, Reggio-Calabria, SW. Italy. 9mm.
Young specimen, collected in beachstormed grit among gravel, Cap d’Agde, S. France. 18mm.
Subadult from 36m deep, San Giovanni Li Cuti, Catania, E. Sicily. 24,5mm.
Adult specimen in Dézallier d’Argenville: L’histoire naturelle… Paris, 1742. « La Telline M, est couverte de son Epiderme ou d’un drap marin brun, dont on aperçoit plusieurs poils. »
Specimens figured in J. G. Hidalgo: Moluscos marinos de España, Portugal y las Baleares plates LXVII & LXIX, Madrid 1870, via BHL.
Arca barbata in G. P. Deshayes: “Hist. Nat. Mollusques t. I”, Exploration scientifique de l’Algérie, Paris 1844-1867, via BHL.
Above and below: specimens nested in oyster valves, from a muddy bottom, Western Cádiz, SW. Spain.
Original pictures provided by B. J. Muñoz-Sánchez (ES).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
22m deep, “Pyramid” diving spot, south of Veliki Školj island, Molunat, S. Croatia. 37mm.
Detail of the periostracum on the posterior extremity.

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