 Loch Long, Argyll M010552 |
 Loch Long, Argyll M010553 |
 Cardigan Bay : 52° 30 / 5° 0 : 74m M011803 |
 Cardigan Bay M011804 |
 Cardigan Bay M011805 |
 Cardigan Bay M011806 |
 Loch Fyne 2008 M011807 |
 Loch Fyne 2008 M011808 |
 Loch Fyne 2008 M011809 |
 Loch Fyne 2008 M011810 |
 Loch Fyne 2008 M011811 |
 Milford Haven M011812 |
 Milford Haven M011813 |
 Milford Haven M011814 |
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NMW Image No.
Abra alba (W Wood, 1802)
Tellinoidea : Semelidae| Tebble name: | Abra alba (W Wood) |
| Smith & Heppell name: | Abra alba (W Wood, 1802) |
To size: To 25mm. Shell Structure: Thin, brittle. Equivalve: Almost equivalve. Equilateral: Inequilateral, beaks to the posterior. Tumidity: Not tumid. Outline: Subtrigonal, posterior dorsal margin almost straight sloping to a rounded posterior margin, anterior dorsal margin slightly longer and slopes slightly less steeply to a broadly rounded anterior margin. Twists to right slightly.
Sculpture: Fine concentric lines, growth stages clear. Margin: Smooth. Ligament: External small brown, arched band, internal ligament in a small triangular chondrophore. Hinge: LV one small cardinal and single weak laterals; RV two cardinals and single laterals. Pallial Musculature: Deep pallial sinus, confluent with pallial line for most of its length. Cruciform muscle scars visible in some specimens. Periostracum: Light brown. Colour: Dirty white.
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Distribution & Ecology
Lives in a wide range of substrates but most often in fine, silty sand, less frequent in mud or gravel
Distributed all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, occurring from the lower shore to the shelf edge.
Depth Range
Intertidal
Continental Shelf (to 200m)
Juveniles & Similar Species
Juvenile Description
Hyaline, transparent, similar to adult but outline in very small shells more symmetrical.
Key Features & Similar Species
Often confused with Abra nitida, but the outline of A. alba is more inequilateral, more broadly subovate with a less pointed posterior and lacks the distinct depression associated with the external ligament. Some populations are posteriorly more acute but do not have the posterior depression.
Additional Comments
References
Listed are literature citing Abra alba (W Wood, 1802). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.
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Allen J A & Sanders H L 1966. Adaptations to abyssal life as shown by the bivalve Abra profundorum (Smith). Deep Sea Research and Oceanographic Abstracts. 13: 1175-1178. |
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Wood W 1802. Observations on the hinges of British Bivalve Shells. Transactions of the Linnaean Society. VI: 174. |
Resources
Downloads
Weblinks
- Conchological Society
of Great Britain & Ireland
Provides resources for understanding, identifying, recording, and conserving molluscs - CLEMAM
Check List of European Marine Mollusca - MarLIN
The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland (MarLIN) provides information for marine environmental management, protection and education. It is a centre of excellence in spatially based and time-series marine biological information and supports good stewardship in the marine environment. - NBN Gateway
National Biodiversity Network's Gateway. Use it to explore UK biodiversity data, as contributed by participating data providers. - BivAToL
- MarBEF
- Malacological Society
- Unitas Malacologica
- Census of Marine Life
- MarBEF
MarBEF, a network of excellence funded by the European Union and consisting of 94 European marine institutes, is a platform to integrate and disseminate knowledge and expertise on marine biodiversity, with links to researchers, industry, stakeholders and the general public.