Arca noae Linnaeus, 1758
Algarve to Sénégal, Azores to Mediterranean.
Synonym: gualtieri Renier, 1804.
Intertidal to 100m deep, attached to hard substract or Gorgonians by a strong byssus.
Specimens collected in crevice at 2m deep and on top of big rock in very shallow water, under Castle cliff, Cassis, Provence, S. France. 63-68mm.
Average pattern under periostracum. Ornamental item in Octopus nest, 3m deep, off the jetty, Cassis. 56mm.
Variants albida, atra, clausa, latipes, suprapectinata, transversa, typica, ventricosa…
In sand-gravel pocket among rocks, 4m deep, Agia Pelagia, Iraklio, N. Crete. 63mm.
8-15m deep, Badia de Pollença, Mallorca, Baleares. 59mm.
Giant and gerontic. Les Embiez archipelago, Sanary, Var, S. France. 94mm.
Saint-Tropez, Var, S. France. 75mm.
Original pictures provided by Eymard Gilbert (FR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
« Miss Pocock, whose liberal communication of British shells collected by herself, we have had such frequent occasion to mention in the progress of this publication, has obliged us with a small specimen of the Arca Noae found on the shores of Cornwall ; the smallest shell figured etc. » – E. Donovan, Natural history of British shells vol. V (1803) via BHL.
The valves are often covered with the orange-red encrusting sponge Crambe crambe (Schmidt, 1862). 30m deep, in the gulf, off Juan-les-Pins, Alpes-Maritimes, SE. France. Original picture provided by S. Omnès for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
Arca Noae figured in J. G. Hidalgo: Moluscos marinos de España, Portugal y las Baleares, Madrid 1870, plate LXIX.
On rock, northern dike of Saint-Louis Channel, south of Plage-Olga, Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, W. Provence. 74mm.
3m deep, on rocky shore, Kárystos bay, south coast of Évvia island, E. Greece. 46-69,5mm.
Underside of rock, Vignola Bay, Marina di Davia, Corbara, NW. Corsica.
Crambe crambe on Arca noae.
Les Moyadons Reef, west of Riou Island, south of Marseille, Provence, S. France. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
2m deep, western shore of Uvala Puč, Luka Gornji Molunat, Gruda area, Dubrovnik-Neretva Comitat, S. Croatia.
The large taxodont hinge of Arca noae. Same spot.
Crambe crambe on Arca noae again.
Entrance of Cala Culip, Cap de Creus, Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalunya, NE. Spain. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
A young specimen, entrance of Pourrousset Cove, Rade d’Agay, east of Saint-Raphaël, Var, SE. France.
Original pictures provided by P. Corbrion for iNaturalist.
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
Washed ashore after storm, Boussadoune Beach, Rabtat, Jijel, NE. Algeria. Original picture provided by A. Kermiche (DZ).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –

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