Species Account

Phaxas pellucidus (Pennant, 1777)

Solenoidea : Pharidae

Tebble name: Cultellus pellucidus (Pennant)
Smith & Heppell name: Phaxas pellucidus (Pennant, 1777)

To size: To 40mm. Shell Structure: Thin, fragile. Equivalve: Equivalve. Equilateral: Inequilateral, beaks very close to the anterior end. Tumidity: Compressed. Outline: Ensiform, dorsal straight, ventral curved; anterior rounded, posterior obliquely subtruncate.

Sculpture: Smooth with very fine co-marginal lines and very faint microscopic radial striations over the anterior end. Margin: Inner margin smooth. Ligament: External an arched band behind the beaks. Hinge: LV with two projecting cardinals, the posterior deeply bifid with the posterior part directed posteriorly; a single posterior lateral is present and in line with the posterior arm of the posterior cardinal. RV with a single cardinal and single wekly bifid posterior lateral. Pallial Musculature: Anterior adductor scar long, equal to length of ligament; posterior adductor scar joined to the dorsal arm of the pallial sinus. Periostracum: Glossy, yellowish green. Colour: Shell white some with reddish markings.

Distribution & Ecology

A burrower into muddy sand. At shelf depths, widespread.

Depth Range
Continental Shelf (to 200m)

Additional Information & Related Species

References

Listed are literature citing Phaxas pellucidus (Pennant, 1777). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.

Pennant T 1777. British Zoology vol.IV. Crustacea, Mollusca, Testacea London, B. White. 154pp, 93pls.
von Cosel R 1993. The razor shells of the eastern Atlantic. Part 1: Solenidae and Pharidae I (Bivalvia: Solenacea). Archiv für Molluskenkunde. 122: 207-321.

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.

Record last modified: 22/03/2016