« Shell small, slightly inequilateral, ovate-elongated, not rostrated, moderately inflated, thin-walled, glossy. Umbo posterior to midline, small, barely projecting from shell outline, slightly opisthogyrate. Antero-dorsal and postero-dorsal margins convex, making a smooth wide curve. Anterior margin smoothy rounded. Posterior margin a little narrower, obscurely angulated below shell height midline. Ventral margin wide, evenly curved, moderately convex. Surface with fine growth lines, becoming well incised, and irregularly spaced lines near ventral margin. Periostracum thin, shiny, pale. » – R. La Perna: “The identity of Yoldia micrometrica Seguenza, 1877 and three new deep-sea protobranchs from the Mediterranean (Bivalvia)”, Journal of Natural History vol. 38(8), april 2004, p.1050-1051.
Above and below:
500m deep, off Cavtat, Dubrovnik-Neretva Comitat, S. Croatia. 1,35mm. Original pictures provided by R. Stanić (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
« Hinge plate thin, makin an angle of about 150°, anterior row a little longer than posterior one. Dentition taxodont, with slightly chevron-shaped teeth, numbering five anteriorly and four posteriorly. Ligament pit elongated, slit-like, shallow, with a small outward posterior part. Muscle scars roundish, fairly weel distinct. Pallial line forming a shallow, hardly distinct posterior sinus. Prodissoconch matt, D-shaped. » – Ibid.
The shell of Y. wareni is close to that of dissimilis Verrill & Bush 1898, but is smaller, thinner and too randomly ridged to be confused with the latter. The name honours the malacologist A. Warén. Above: a specimen collected at 1400m deep, off Atlit, Haifa District, NW. Israel. 1,02mm. Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA). The pink colour is given by the fixing fluid used to preserve the flesh.