| Mactra corallina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Mediterranean and Gulf of Cádiz. The species can live in sympatry with Mactra stultorum, for example in te Gulf of Venice. Original taxon: Cardium corallinum. Synonyms: alba, candida, lactea… The shell of this species is white, with sometimes ivory radial bands (« obtusissima faciis lacteis » in Linnaeus). – 1-2m deep, Deltebre, Tarragona, Catalunya, NE. Spain. 47mm. |
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Young.
La Conque, Cap d’Agde, Hérault, S. France. 22mm. |
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| Ayrolle lagoon, Occitania, S. France. 57mm. |
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| Shallow water, Plage Napoléon, Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, Bouches-du-Rhône, S. France. Original picture provided by F. André for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |
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| Same spot. Original picture provided by F. André for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |
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| The species is common in Mediterranean, where it could be confused with young M. glauca. But M. corallina is smaller and always more globose. Rochelongue, Cap d’Agde, 46mm. |
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Left: Mactra stultorum. Right: Mactra corallina.
The latter has the valves more inflated than in stultorum, and its summits are less rounded, with more marked lateral keels. On sand, out of Ayrolle lagoon. 44-48mm. |
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| Plage du Boucanet, between Le Grau-du-Roi and La Grande-Motte, Golfe d’Aigues-Mortes, S. France. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |