Big pepper clam
| Big pepper clam | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Big pepper clam ( Scrobicularia plana ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Scrobicularia plana | ||||||||||||
| ( da Costa , 1778) |
The peppery furrow shell ( Scrobicularia plana ) is along the Western European, Mediterranean occurring and Northwest African coastal shellfish species from the family of pepper shells (Semelidae).
Features of the shell
The housings of the large pepper clams, which have the same flaps, are up to 65 millimeters long and are almost on the same side. The vertebrae sit very slightly in front of the center line (in relation to the length of the case). They are egg-shaped in outline and relatively flat in cross-section. The front end is broadly rounded, the rear end is more narrowly rounded. There is an external and internal ligament . The dark brown, external ligament is small and lies just behind the vertebrae. The internal ligament is large, opisthodic, and sits in a semicircular chondrophor just below the external ligament. The lock has two small cardinal teeth in the right flap . In contrast, there is only one cardinal tooth in the left valve. Lateral teeth are missing. There are two sphincters, the front one is elongated, the rear one is teardrop-shaped. The surface line is deeply indented, the bay reaches the center line.
The shell is thin and fragile. The surface shows numerous fine, concentric growth rings. The outside is white, light gray or yellowish and usually darkest along the borders of the growth rings. The inside of the shell is white or yellowish. The periostracum is a thin, light brown coating. The edge of the case is smooth.
distribution
The big pepper clam occurs on the coasts of the Eastern Atlantic from Norway to West Africa, as well as in the North and Baltic Seas and in the Mediterranean .
The animals colonize muddy soils with a lot of organic material in the intertidal zone and in estuaries . They are buried up to 20 centimeters deep in the ground and feed on material that they collect from the surface with their longer breath sipho . They leave behind characteristic, star-shaped feeding tracks. The Sipho is often bitten off by predators due to its exposed position, but can be regenerated within about five days . But nutrition is also provided by filtering the respiratory water.
The reproduction of the separate sex animals takes place in summer. After two to three weeks as planktonic Veliger larvae , the animals settle and can then reach an age of up to 18 years.
Economic use
In the 19th century, the mussels were mainly collected and eaten by the poorer population in south-west France. Today it has no commercial value or is not fished at. Incidentally, the name pepper mussel comes from the pungent aftertaste of the mussel meat.
Taxonomy
The taxon was introduced into literature in 1778 by Emanuel Mendes da Costa as Trigonella plana . In addition to the large pepper mussel , MolluscaBase recognizes a second species in the genus: Scrobicularia cottardi (Payraudeau, 1826). Depending on the author, the large pepper mussel is either placed in the Semelidae family or in a separate family Scrobiculariidae , which then only contains the genus Scrobicularia . MolluscaBase understands the Scrobulariidae as a synonym of the Semelidae family.
supporting documents
literature
- JD Fish, S. Fish: A Student's Guide to the Seashore . 3. Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-139-49451-9 , pp. 281-282 .
- Guido Poppe and Yoshihiro Goto: European Seashells Volume 2 (Scaphopoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda) . 221 pp., Verlag Christa Hemmen, Wiesbaden 1993 (2000 unc. Reprint), ISBN 3925919104
- Rainer Willmann: Mussels of the North and Baltic Seas. Neumann-Neudamm, Melsungen 1989, ISBN 3-7888-0555-2 (p. 158/9)
On-line
Individual evidence
- ^ Emanuel Mendez da Costa: Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. SI-XII, 1-254, London, Millan, White, Emsley & Robson, 1778 Online at www.biodiversitylibrary.org (p. 200/1)
- ↑ MolluscaBase: Scrobicularia plana (da Costa, 1778)
Web links
- Description at the Marine Species Identification Portal
- Entry in the HELCOM Red List (pdf)