Lembulus pella (Linnaeus, 1767)

Algarve to Angola, Mediterranean. Original taxon: Arca pella. Synonyms: emarginata, fabula, interrupta, pelliformis. The species varies in shape and sculpture. 150m deep, off Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 11,5mm.

Juvenile from Palavas-les-Flots, Gard, S. France. 3,9mm. Original pictures provided by S. Clanzig (FR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

Top: trawled at 50m deep, off Málaga. 6mm. Bottom: 40-45m deep, Cannizzaro, Catania, Sicily. 8mm.

Nucula emarginata in G. P. Deshayes: “Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques” t. I, Exploration scientifique de l’Algérie, Paris 1844-1867, plate CXV.

A specimen from Leucate, Occitania, S. France. 12mm. Original pictures provided by S. Clanzig (FR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

45m deep, Siracusa, SE. Sicilia. Original picture provided by A. Brancato (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA).

Pliocene fossil from the Piacenzian strata at Gourbesville, Manche, SW. Normandy, NW. France. Original picture made by P. Massicard for the MNHN-Paris (J07795) – (CC BY).

Lembulus bicuspidatus (Gould, 1845), from S. Portugal to Angola, is close to pella, but with sharper extremities. Dredged at 40-60m deep, on muddy bottom, off Luanda, Angola. 10mm.

Lembulus bicuspidatus (Gould, 1845). Trawled at 30-40m deep, off Málaga. 17mm. If this data is correct, here is an interesting range extension.

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