Acanthocardia tuberculata
(Linnaeus, 1758) |
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British Isles to Morocco, Mediterranean, Black Sea.
Intertidal to 20m deep.
Original taxon: Cardium tuberculatum.
Smooth form, from Dautzenberg: Atlas de poche des coquilles de France via BHL. |
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Synonyms: fasciatum, nodosum, rusticum, tuberculare.
Above, an other specimen drawn in T. Brown: Illustrations of the recent conchology of Great Britain and Ireland, London 1844, plate 34 fig.9, via BHL. |
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| Plage du Prévost, off the parking area, Palavas-les-Flots, Hérault, Occitania, S. France. Original picture provided by J. Renoult for iNaturalist – (CC BY). |
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| 6m deep, on sandy bottom, Kárystos bay, southern coast of Évvia island, E. Greece. 48mm. |
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| Two shells from Peroj, Istria, NW. Croatia. The variations affect the sculpture as well as the density of colour. 44-46mm. |
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An example of Cardium fasciatum Gmelin, 1791.
Trawled at 80m deep, in sand and mud, Costa Brava, Catalunya, NE. Spain. 59mm.
The shell is « somewhat squarely ovate, posteriorly slightly angulated ; radiately ribbed, ribs six and twenty in number, the posterior finely muricated, the anterior obtusely scaled ; whitish, faintly stained and banded with rusty brown. » – L. A. Reeve: Conchologia iconica vol. II, London 1843, p.224. |
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Albino specimens are uncommon, but not rare.
20m deep, in Alger bay, El Djazaïr, Algeria. 45mm. |
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| Average specimens, from the entrance of Ayrolles lagoon, Gruissan, Occitania. 48-60mm. |
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| Same spot. 64mm. Large, strong, thick, solid. |
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| Beachstormed, Agde, Hérault. 65mm. |
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An other albino, from Marseillan-Plage, in the NE. of Agde. Original picture provided by J. Renoult for iNaturalist.
– (CC BY-NC) – |
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| Lagunar specimens. 3m deep, along the shore near the river mouth, Hygrobiotopos Moustou, south of Astros, NW. coast of Argolikos Kolpos, S. Peloponnese, S. Greece. 28,5-33mm. |
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Shells from Siracusa, SE. Sicilia.
Original pictures provided by A. Brancato (IT).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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3m deep, Duće, Omiš, Split-Dalmatia Comitat, S. Croatia. 62mm. Original pictures provided by R. Stanić (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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Specimens from the English Channel, at extreme low tide.
Plage des Rosaires, Plérin, N. Brittany, NW. France. |