SOME SHELLS FROM MEDITERRANEAN
Young Mimachlamys varia can be confused with Crassadoma multistriata (Poli, 1795) and some of the less distorted Talochlamys pusio (Linnaeus, 1758). But it seems that the scales are more numerous and smaller in Crassadoma multistriata:
It is also possible that the spines in varia could be more irregularly laid out than in multistriata.
Left valve of a beached specimen, collected near Salé, NE. Morocco. 42mm. All the beached shells that were collected with this one had the same light brown colour.
Left valve of a beached specimen, collected near Salé, NE. Morocco. 42mm. All the beached shells that were collected with this one had the same light brown colour.
Conclusion:
The forms of Mimachlamys varia could be arranged in two categories:
1- extreme variations resulting from an average specific core:
Atra Locard
Alba Scacchi
2- variations less or more independent of the average specific core:
aurantia Clement
rubra Scacchi etc.
One can easily build a transition-series between an average brown varia and an atra or an alba, while it seems to me (for the moment) almost impossible to build such series between an average specimen and a red or an orange one, at least in Brittany.
But the picture below will show you such a transition, made with shells from Malta.
1- extreme variations resulting from an average specific core:
Atra Locard
Alba Scacchi
2- variations less or more independent of the average specific core:
aurantia Clement
rubra Scacchi etc.
One can easily build a transition-series between an average brown varia and an atra or an alba, while it seems to me (for the moment) almost impossible to build such series between an average specimen and a red or an orange one, at least in Brittany.
But the picture below will show you such a transition, made with shells from Malta.
