Outside of right valve
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St.Martins, Scilly. Length = 5mm.
Moerella pygmaea
<em>Moerella pygmaea</em> (Lovén, 1846)
Inside of right valve
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St.Martins, Scilly. Length = 6mm.
Outside of left valve
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St.Martins, Scilly. Length = 7mm.
Outside of left valve
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St.Martins, Scilly. Length = 7mm.
Moerella pygmaea
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St. Martin, Scilly. Length = 3mm.
Moerella pygmaea
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Steve Wilkinson
Specimen collected by Celia Pain from St. Martin, Scilly. Length = 3mm.
Moerella pygmaea
Distribution and status
Frequent
From Norway south to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean.
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows in coarse sand or shell gravel where it feeds on organic detritus picked up through the siphon.
Similar species
- Moerella donacina has a much deeper pallial sinus
Key identification features
- Relatively deep pallial sinus
- Oval in outline
Taxon version key
[NBNSYS0000176500]
Sort order
10640
Taxonomic group
Marine bivalve
Fragile shell up to about 1 cm in length. The colour is usually reddish / yellowish white but can include white pink, orange and brown sometimes aranged in streaks or blotches. Sculpture of concentric ridges.