Species Account

Modiolula phaseolina (Philippi, 1844)

Mytiloidea : Mytilidae

Tebble name: Modiolus phaseolinus (Philippi)
Smith & Heppell name: Modiolula phaseolina (Philippi,1844)

To size: To 20mm. Shell Structure: Thin but not fragile. Equivalve: Equivalve. Equilateral: Strongly inequilateral, beaks very close to the anterior margin. Tumidity: A little inflated, umbos low. Outline: Modioliform, ligament margin slope steepness variable; posterior dorsal margin curved to almost straight; posterior rounded; ventral strtaight; anterior slightly curved but almost indistinct from ventral.

Sculpture: Smooth with comarginal lines and growth stops. Margin: Smooth. Ligament: Deeply sunken extending for most of the ligament margin. Hinge: Hinge plate narrow, a small group of crenulations below beak at all sizes; posterior crenulations/ dysodont teeth present in juveniles obscure in most adults. Pallial Musculature: Obscure but anterior adductor scar bounded by a low ridge on its inner edge. Periostracum: Of densely spaced, long simple bristles with broad triangular bases. Colour: Periostracum golden brown – brown; shell yellow-brown to dark brown. Internal lustrous, external showing through, often tinged purple brown.

Distribution & Ecology

Distributed widely but less frequent in the North Sea and apparently absent from the southern North Sea. Attached by the byssus and nestling in crevices or among epifauna including horse mussel beds. Low in the intertidal to moderate shelf depths.

Depth Range
Intertidal
Continental Shelf (to 200m)

Additional Information & Related Species

References

Listed are literature citing Modiolula phaseolina (Philippi, 1844). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.

Philippi R A 1844. Enumeratio molluscorum Siciliae cum viventium tum in tellure tertiaria fossilium, quae in itinere suo observavit. Vol. 2 303pp. Eduard Anton, Halle. pls 13-28.

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