| Coralliophaga lithophagella (Lamarck, 1819) |
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W. Brittany to Sénégal, Azores to Mediterranean. Endolithic species living inside cavities mainly in coralligenous habitats. Intertidal to upper shelf. In shallow rocks as well as among cold water deep corals, the species lives in association with other boring Bivalves, such as the nesting Rocellaria dubia (Pennant, 1777). This is a suspension feeder.
Original taxon: Cardita lithophagella.
9m deep, in broken stone, southern coast of Elounda peninsula, Lasithi, eastern Crete. 10,5mm. |
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Synonyms: fragilis, setosa…
Specimen from Gibraltar Strait. 80m deep, on detritic bottom with Corallium rubrum, N. coast of Morocco. 11mm. |
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Cardita lithophagella in B. Delessert: Recueil de coquilles décrites par Lamarck…, Paris 1841, plate XI via BHL.
« Shell oblong, almost cylindric, slender, compressed near the anterior margin, white, and weakly striated across. Tan teeth. Inhabits european seas. » |
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| Colour white under a rarely preserved brown periostracum, with a pinkish-brownish umbo. Cap Croisette, Les Goudes, Marseille, Provence, S. France. 16mm. E. Vial legit (FR). |
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| 40-45m deep, off Cannizzaro, Catania, E. Sicily. 13mm. |
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Leucate, Occitania, S. France. 11mm.
The hinge shows generic characteristics.
Original pictures provided by S. Clanzig (FR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) – |