Relevant Synonyms Modiola auriculata Krauss, 1848 Misidentification Modiola tulipa Lamarck [Vaillant, 1865]  photo: W. Engl / Coll. H. Mienis

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell equivalve, inequilateral with beaks very close to the anterior end. Outline modioliform; ligament and dorsal margins distinctly disjunct; dorsal and ventral margins parallel; dorsal margin concave. Sculpture smooth with growth lines. Periostracum bearing hairs. color : under the periostracum shades of orange-brown to olive-brown; interior shell with shades of purple. common size : shell to 70 mm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Easy to identify because of the indented dorsal margin, though it can be confused with intermediate forms of M. philippinarum (Hanley, 1843). Further investigation is required to solve the problem. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Species able to adapt over a large range of environmental parameters; this high tolerance to changes might be a acquired physiological ability inherent to this species or to the Modiolus genus (Bourdelin, 1996). Suspension feeder. habitat : Red Sea habitat intertidal, attached by byssus to rocks, stones and coral debris (Oliver, 1992).

1st Mediterranean record Palestine, 1937, [1935] Safriel et al., 1980. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea; recorded from the Suez Canal (Tillier and Bavay, 1905). Mediterranean: recorded from Palestine (Haas, 1937). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Not uncommon along the Israel coasts where shells are found in beaches and animals have been dredged at depths 51-55 m. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Can be used as a biological indicator to monitor chemical contaminants in a tropical marine ecosystem (Bourdelin, 1996).

KEY REFERENCES Barash A. and Danin Z., 1973. The Indo-Pacific species of mollusca in the Mediterranean and notes on a collection from the Suez Canal. Israel Journal of Zoology, 21(3-4): 301-374. Bourdelin F., 1996. Physiological responses of the tropical mussel, Modiolus auriculatus - a possible biological monitor in French Polynesia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 32(6): 480-485. Haas G., 1937. Mollusca marina. Pp. 275-280. In: Bodenheimer F.S. (ed.). Prodromus faunae Palestinae. Mémoires de l'Institut d'Egypte.   Oliver P.G., 1992. Bivalved seashells of the Red Sea. Christa Hemmen, Wiesbaden and National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 330 p. Safriel U.N., A. Gilboa, T. Felsenburg, 1980. Distribution of rocky intertidal mussels in the red Sea coasts of Sinai, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean coast of Israel, with special references to recent colonizers. Journal of Biogeography, 7: 39-62. Tillier L. and Bavay A., 1905. Les mollusques testacés du Canal de Suez. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 30: 170-181. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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