Venericardia purpurata

Taxobox
name = "Venericardia purpurata"


status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Bivalvia
subclassis = Heterodonta
ordo = Veneroida
subordo = Cephalaspidea
superfamilia = Veneroidea
familia = Veneridae
genus = "Venericardia"
species = "V. purpurata"
binomial = "Venericardia purpurata"
binomial_authority = (Deshayes, 1854)
synonyms = "Cardita purpurata" Deshayes, 1854

"Venericardia purpurata" is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Habitat

"Venericardia purpurata" is found in fine sand or mud from low tide to depths of 185 m.

hell description

The shell is suborbicular, solid, inequilateral, the beaks recurved and situated at about the anterior third or fourth. Sculpture consists of prominent, broadly rounded, radial ribs, with interspaces varying from linear to somewhat wider, the ribs overridden by closely spaced nodose to knotted concentric riblets.

Coloration varies from white to pinkish, speckled or tessellated with reddish-brown towards the beaks, and internally whitish, often rose-purple stained at each end.

Height is up to 47 mm, width up to 50 mm, and thickness 33.5 mm.

References

* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1