Tapes (Polititapes) aureus (Gmelin, 1791)
Veneroidea : Veneridae |
| Tebble name: | Venerupis aurea (Gmelin) |
| Smith & Heppell name: | Tapes aureus (Gmelin, 1791) |
Notes on Nomenclature
To size:
To 45mm.
Shell Structure:
Solid.
Equivalve:
Equivalve.
Equilateral:
Inequilateral. Beaks in front of midline.
Tumidity:
Tumid.
Outline:
Subovate, almost sub-triangular, dorsal margin long and sloping to posterior. Lunule heart-shaped, elongate, radiating ridges. Escutcheon indistinct.
Sculpture:
Sculpture consisting of thin concentric ridges and very fine radial lines.
Margin:
Margin smooth.
Ligament:
Ligament extending from umbo 1/3rd the dorsal margin length.
Hinge:
3 cardinals in each valve, LV central bifid and RV central and posterior bifid. No laterals.
Pallial Musculature:
Muscle scars roughly equal: Posterior slightly fatter than anterior. Pallial sinus just over a third of whole length of shell, rounded, but ends in a point.
Periostracum:
Thin, smooth and glossy.
Colour:
External fawn/pale yellow/dirty-white/brown coloured, and may have red-brown and/or mid-brown zigzag/blotches/lines/streaks. Internal colouration white sometimes with orange/purple/yellow spreading from umbo.
Distribution & Ecology
Depth Range
Intertidal
Continental Shelf (to 200m)
Additional Information & Related Species
Related Species
Veneroidea : Veneridae
References
Listed are literature citing Tapes (Polititapes) aureus (Gmelin, 1791). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.
|
Gmelin J F 1791. Carli Linnaei systema Naturae per regna tria naturae. Editio decimatertia, aucta, reformata, Vermes Testacea 1 (6). Lipsiae. 3021-3910. |
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Mikkelsen PM, Bieler R, Kappner I & Rawlings TA 2006. Phylogeny of Veneroidea (Mollusca: Bivalvia) based on morphology and molecules. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 148: 439-521. |
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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