Gafrarium savignyi (Jonas, 1846)
Red Sea to Eastern Mediterranean.
Intertidal, subtidal, shallow waters, in sediments.
Original taxon: Cytherea savignyi.
10-15m deep, in sand, Haifa, NW. Israel. 35-36mm, 1996.
This species « is not to be confused with pectinata: 1) because it approximates the egg shape more than the round one (Venus testa sublentiformi: Linne 1c); 2) because the horizontal stripes are denser and finer, so that the ribs appear more finely furrowed than nodular, (exarata striis obtusis catenulato-nodosis: Linne 1c); and 3) because the lunula is not indented (ani vestigium fuscum, lanceolatum, imprint: Linne 1c). » – J. H. Jonas: “Beitrag zur Erklärung der in der description de l’Egypte abgebildeten, nebst beschreibung einiger anderer im rothen Meere und den angrenzenden ländern lebender mollusken”, eitschrift für Malakozoologie Jahrgang 1846, Hannover 1846, p.65-66.

Same spot. 44mm.
Original pictures provided by I. Mulero (ES).
(CC BY-NC-SA)
3m deep, Fethiye, Muğla Province, SW. Turkey. 25,4-25,7mm.
Original pictures provided by P. Ovalis (GR).
(CC BY-NC-SA)
The species Gafrarium pectinatum (Linnaeus, 1758) is flatter, with fewer ribs and a more scaly sculpture. Intertidal, Rivière Noire, Mauritius. 25,5-28,5mm.

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