Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification Spondylus spinosus Schreibers, 1793  drawing: Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell inequivalve, solid, ovate to elongate-ovate. Area of attachment rather large. The lv is moderately convex. Sculpture of 6-10 well-defined principal radial ribs with strong, depressed, overlapping, spatulate spines. In adults the umbonal area is usually worn. Wide interspaces, with one secondary rib, which bears sharp or slightly flattened overlapping spines. The cardinal area of the upper valve (rv) is triangular and shallow under hingle plate. Inner margin finely crenulate. color : shell purple-brown, orange red or deep brick-red. The ribs and spines are the same color as the shell but rarely yellow or lilac colored. Umbonal area often with irregular brown spots, bloches or undulating marks. Internal shell white. common size : 75 mm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS In the early stages of growth Spondylus species are extremely difficult to identify and many exhibit a similar ornamentation, shape and color. Differences from the very similar S. spinosus in rib number and shape, spine development and color are given under S. spinosus. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Unknown. habitat : attached to corals or rocks to 150 m.

1st Mediterranean record Israel, 1998 [no collecting date]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: original distribution along the East coast of Africa (Lamprell and Kilburn, 1995), in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Mediterranean: recorded from Israel (Lamprell, 1998); its exact distribution is unknown. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Questionable due to the confusion with the congeneric S. spinosus. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Unknown, via the Suez Canal or by shipping. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Lamprell K.L., 1998. Recent Spondylus species from the Middle East and adjacent regions, with the description of two new species. Vita Marina, 45(1-2): 41-60. Lamprell K.L. and R.N. Kilburn, 1995. The recent Spondylidae of South Africa and Mozambique, with the description of a new species (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Pectinoidea). Molluscan Research, 16: 81-95. Mienis H.K., Galili E. and Rapoport J., 1993a. The spiny oyster, Spondylus spinosus, a well established Indo-Pacific bivalve in the eastern Mediterranean off Israel (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Spondylidae). Zoology in the Middle East, 9: 83-91.   Oliver P.G., 1992. Bivalved seashells of the Red Sea. Christa Hemmen, Wiesbaden and National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 330 p. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update : December 2003 ©ciesm 2002