Species Account

Thyasira subovata (Jeffreys, 1881)

Thyasiroidea : Thyasiridae

Tebble name: n/a
Smith & Heppell name: Thyasira subovata (Jeffreys, 1881)

To size: To 2mm. Shell Structure: Thin, semitransparent. Equivalve: Equivalve. Equilateral: Inequilateral, beaks slightly to the posterior. Tumidity: Moderate. Outline: Subovate; anterior expanded broadly rounded, anterior dorsal margin not depressed except for very small lunule below beaks; ventral margin long, gently curved; posterior short, subtruncate; posterior dorsal margin long almost straight. Contour: Submarginal sulcus prominent, edges sharp; slight, short auricle but scarcely raised and not visible above edge of submarginal sulcus; posterior area somewhat flattened.

Sculpture: Smooth with very fine growth lines. Margin: Smooth. Ligament: External, sunken but visible, short. Hinge: Hinge plate very narrow, slightly thickened just forward of the beaks. Pallial Musculature: Muscle scars obscure. Periostracum: Obscure. Colour: Shell white. Additional Characters: 2 demibranchs.

Distribution & Ecology

Mostly from abyssal depths but also lower bathyal; Common in Rockall Trough, lower slope of Atlantic Margin and Bay of Biscay

Depth Range
Bathyal (500 - 2000m)
Abyssal Rise (2000 - 4000m)

Additional Information & Related Species

References

Listed are literature citing Thyasira subovata (Jeffreys, 1881). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.

Jeffreys J.G. 1881. On the Mollusca procured during the ‘Lightning’ and ‘Porcupine’ Expeditions, 1868-70. (Part III). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1881: 693-724.
Payne C.M. & Allen J.A. 1991. The morphology of deep-sea Thyasiridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from the Atlantic Ocean. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B. 334: 481-566.

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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Record last modified: 15/01/2014