Malletia johnsoni Clark, 1961
Nuculanoidea : Malletiidae |
Tebble name: | n/a |
Smith & Heppell name: | Malletia johnsoni Clark, 1961 |
Notes on Nomenclature
To size:
To 17mm.
Shell Structure:
Thin, fragile.
Equivalve:
Equivalve.
Equilateral:
Inequilateral, beaks situated to the anterior of midline, approximately 35% of total length from anterior end.
Tumidity:
Moderately inflated but rather compressed posteriorly.
Outline:
Rounded rectangular: antero-dorsal margin short, gently sloping; anterior end rounded; postero-dorsal margin long, straight and slightly raised, with a slight dorsal margin - posterior margin junction; posterior end broad, slightly rounded to almost truncated. Ventral margin long, very shallowly rounded to almost straight. Umbo narrow, slightly pointed and raised above the dorsal margin.
Sculpture:
Virtually smooth, with only very faint, closely spaced concentric lines.
Margin:
Smooth.
Ligament:
External, exterior part long, at least half the length of the postero-dorsal margin, prominent, raised, straw-coloured; anterior part narrow and not raised.
Hinge:
Taxodont: Hinge plate rather narrow but broadening away from the umbos; straight in the posterior part and sloping in the anterior part; moderately pointed chevron-shaped teeth, up to 36 posterior and 16-20 anterior. Resilium.
Pallial Musculature:
Pallial sinus broad and deep, extending approximately half way across the shell.
Periostracum:
Glossy, slightly iridescent, greyish to slightly greenish, sometimes browner around the outer margins (especially the anterior end).
Colour:
Translucent white.
Additional Characters:
The hind-gut forms a simple, rounded loop on the right side of the body.
Distribution & Ecology
Depth Range
Bathyal (500 - 2000m)
Abyssal Rise (2000 - 4000m)
Additional Information & Related Species
Related Species
Nuculanoidea : Malletiidae
References
Listed are literature citing Malletia johnsoni Clark, 1961. Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.
Clark A H Jr 1961. Abyssal mollusks from the South Atlantic Ocean. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard. 125: 345-387. |
Sanders H.L. & Allen J.A. 1985. Studies on deep sea Protobranchia (Bivalvia): the family Malletiidae. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, London (Zoology). 49: 195-238. |
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.