Thyasira (Thyasira) flexuosa (Montagu, 1803)
Thyasiroidea : Thyasiridae |
| Tebble name: | Thyasira flexuosa (Montagu) |
| Smith & Heppell name: | Thyasira flexuosa (Montagu, 1803) |
To size: To 12mm. Shell Structure: Thin, fragile. Equivalve: Equivalve. Equilateral: Equilateral. Tumidity: Moderate. Outline: Ovate, higher than long; anterior dorsal margin excavated some with a short subtruncate section at junction with narrowly rounded anterior; ventral margin curved; posterior profile distinctly biangulate; posterior margin sulcate posterior dorsal margin weakly sulcate depending on expression of auricle. Contour: Umbo projecting; auricle projecting but strongly to weakly defined about 2/3 length of strongly demarcated submarginal sulcus. First posterior fold prominent and subacute, posterior sulcus well developed; second posterior fold strong and subacute. Larval shell160-180microns.
Sculpture: Of growth lines and stops often with irregular dents and weak ridges. Margin: Smooth. Ligament: Deeply sunken within auricle about 1/2 its length. Hinge: Weak, a small cardinal peg in RV, LV with a corresponding depression. Pallial Musculature: Muscle scars obscure. Periostracum: Thin not persistent. Colour: Shell white, often with anterior dorsal and posterior ferruginous coatings. Additional Characters: 2 demibranchs.
Distribution & Ecology
Gross anatomy – Allen, 1958
Symbiosis – Southward, 1986; Dando & Southward, 1986
Gill anatomy – Dufour, 2005
Depth Range
Intertidal
Continental Shelf (to 200m)
Additional Information & Related Species
Related Species
Thyasiroidea : Thyasiridae
References
Listed are literature citing Thyasira (Thyasira) flexuosa (Montagu, 1803). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.
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Allen J A 1958. On the basic form and adaptation to habitat in the Lucinacea (Eulamellibranchia). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B. 241: 421-484. |
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Dando P R & Southward A J 1986. Chemoautotrophy in the bivalve molluscs of the genus Thyasira. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 66: 915-929. |
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Dufour S C 2005. Gill anatomy and the evolution of symbiosis in the bivalve family Thyasiridae. Biological Bulletin. 208: 200-212. |
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Montagu G 1803. Testacea Britannica, or natural history of British shells, marine, land and the fresh-water, including the most minute: systematically arranged and embellished with figures Romsey, London. 606pp, 16pls. |
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Oliver P G & Killeen I J 2002. The Thyasiridae (Mollusca: bivalvia) of the British continental shelf and North Sea Oilfields. Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Systematics from the National Museum of Wales. BIOMOR Reports. 3: 1-73. |
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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. |
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Southward E C 1986. Gill symbionts in thyasirids and other bivalve molluscs. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 66: 889-914. |
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Taylor J D, Williams S T & Glover E A 2007. Evolutionary relationships of the bivalve family Thyasiridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia), monophyly and superfamily status. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 87: 565-574. |
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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