Lembulus pella (Linnaeus, 1767)

Algarve to Angola, Mediterranean. Infralittoral and circalittoral. Original taxon: Arca pella. Synonyms: emarginata, fabula, interrupta, pelliformis. The species varies in shape and in sculpture. 150m deep, off Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 11,5mm.

Subadult found at 3,97m deep inside the sediment, bottom at 17m, Prokljan marine lake, Šibenik-Knin Comitat, W. Croatia. Size ≈ 7,4mm.

The transverse outer sculpture appears by transparency in the glossy inside.

Nucula emarginata in G. P. Deshayes: “Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques” t. I, Exploration scientifique de l’Algérie, Paris 1844-1867, plate CXV.

A specimen from Leucate, Occitania, S. France. 12mm. Original pictures provided by S. Clanzig (FR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

45m deep, Siracusa, SE. Sicilia. Original picture provided by A. Brancato (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA).

Pliocene fossil from the Piacenzian strata at Gourbesville, Manche, SW. Normandy, NW. France. Original picture made by P. Massicard for the MNHN-Paris (J07795) – (CC BY).

Lembulus bicuspidatus (Gould, 1845), from S. Portugal to Angola, is close to pella, but with sharper extremities. Dredged at 40-60m deep, on muddy bottom, off Luanda, Angola. 10mm.

Lembulus bicuspidatus (Gould, 1845). Trawled at 30-40m deep, off Málaga. 17mm. If this data is correct, here is an interesting range extension.

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