Ennucula tenuis (Montagu, 1808)
Nuculoidea : Nuculidae |
| Tebble name: | Nucula tenuis (Montagu) |
| Smith & Heppell name: | Nuculoma tenuis (Montagu, 1803) |
To size:
To 13mm.
Shell Structure:
Thin but not fragile.
Equivalve:
Equivalve.
Equilateral:
Inequilateral, the beaks lie approximately 20% of dorsal margin length from posterior.
Tumidity:
(T:L=1:4 [4.5:18.1]) Moderately inflated.
Outline:
Ovate triangular: height of shell approximately 75% of length; antero-dorsal margin very long, gently curved and sloping; postero-dorsal margin slightly curved, steeply sloping with angled junction at posterior margin; anterior and ventral margins moderately rounded; escutcheon elongate heart-shaped, projecting, generally with poorly defined edges; lunule long, lanceolate with poorly defined edges, noticeably raised. Umbo slightly swollen.
Sculpture:
Primary sculpture of numerous very fine, closely-spaced, concentric lines and some growth stops.
Margin:
Smooth.
Ligament:
Internal, opisthodetic, elongate triangular ligament seated in a well-developed resilifer. A thin, barely visible, external ligament lies anterior to the beaks.
Hinge:
Taxodont: Broad and continuous hinge plate with a well-developed resilifer. Teeth long and pointed, usually 8-10 posterior and 16-18 anterior. The teeth extend across the top of the resilifer.
Pallial Musculature:
Pallial line continuous with no pallial sinus. Adductor muscle scars oval, more or less equal in size and indistinct.
Periostracum:
Glossy, grey green, green to dark olive, often darker around the outer margin, sometimes iridescent.
Colour:
White to bluey grey, slightly nacreous. Inside of shell nacreous.
Distribution & Ecology
Depth Range
Continental Shelf (to 200m)
Additional Information & Related Species
Related Species
Nuculoidea : Nuculidae
References
Listed are literature citing Ennucula tenuis (Montagu, 1808). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.
|
Allen J A 1954. A comparative study of the British species of Nucula and Nuculana. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 33: 457-472. |
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Harvey R. & Gage J.D. 1995. Reproduction and recruitment of Nuculoma tenuis (Bivalvia: Nuculoida) from Loch Etive, Scotland. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 61 (4): 409-420. |
|
Montagu G 1808. Testacea Britannica - Supplement Exeter. 183pp + pls 17-30. |
Resources
- 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.
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