| Chamelea gallina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Norway to Mediterranean, Black Sea. Buried in soft sediments from intertidal to at least upper littoral.
Basionym: Venus gallina.
Synonyms: nucleus, nuculata, sinuata…
23m deep, on sand, Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 36-36mm. |
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« Testa suborbicularis subglobosa pallide fulva, ad apices quasi ferruginea radiis tribus fusco-rufescentibus leviter picta, sulcis transversis crebris irregularibus planulatis exarata, natibus mediocribus recurvis, pube lanceolata, lunula subrotunda impressa, marginata. » – A. Statuti: “Sulla « Venus nucleus» Dorati”, Atti dell’Accademia Pontificia de’Nuovi Lincei vol. 33, Roma 1880, p.249.
Specimen from Chioggia, Veneto, NE. Italy, 34mm.
The species is locally abundant in Adriatic. |
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Other synonym: corrugatula Krynicki, 1837.
1m deep, in sand patch, Balaklava coast, south-east of Sevastopol’, SW. Crimea, northern Black Sea. 27,3mm. |
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| Venus gallina in M. E. Gray: Figures of molluscous animals, plate 316, London 1857, via BHL. |
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| Variation set within a population. Beachstormed, near the entrance of Ayrolles lagoon, Gruissan, Occitania, S. France. 17-36mm. This chevron-shaped pattern is distinctive. |
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| Great patterns on these specimens from the northern bottom of Gulf of Lion. On beach, south of the river mouth, on right bank, Le Grau du Roi, S. France. 26-40mm. |
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| Pure white specimen from 1m deep, on the town’s beach, near the mouth of the river Cetina, Omiš, Split-Dalmatia Comitat, S. Croatia. Size about 30mm. Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR) – (CC BY-NC-SA). |
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| Giant albino from sand banks south of Gruissan. 42,5mm. |
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| On sand, Rochelongue, Cap d’Agde, S. France. 34mm. |
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| 8m deep, a the edge of a Posidonia meadow, Tenda Bay, NW. of Itanos, N. of Palaikastro, E. Sitia, E. Crete. 15mm. |
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| Juvenile specimens collected in grit, in the channel of Voidokilia beach, west of Navarino lagoon, Pylos area, Messinia, SW Peloponnese, S. Greece. 1,75-9mm. |
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| Specimens from NW. France. Beachstormed, on sand at low tide, Grande Plage, Quiberon Peninsula, southern Brittany, 2007. 24-29mm. Always, some darker rays appear. |
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| Venus gallina in G. P. Deshayes: “Hist. Nat. Mollusques t. I”, Exploration scientifique de l’Algérie, Paris 1844-1867,
via BHL. |
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| Above and below, specimens from the Gulf of Lion. This one was pictured at about 4m deep, near the western mouth of the Vidourle river, La Grande-Motte, Hérault, S. France. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |
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| On sand in shallow water, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Bouches-du-Rhône, S. France. Original picture provided by F. André for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |