Coralliophaga coralliophaga (Gmelin, 1791)

Oliver, P. Graham & Holmes, Anna, 2004, Cryptic bivalves with descriptions of new species from the Rodrigues lagoon, Journal of Natural History 38 (23), pp. 3175-3227 : 3218

Coralliophaga coralliophaga (Gmelin, 1791)

( figures 145–147 )

Material examined. Five valves from Grand Pate´, off Port Mathurin, shell gravel, 18 mz, 19 ‡ 39.307 ’ S, 63 ‡ 24.950 ’ E, 29 September 2001, sand in surge channel, 17 m, scuba, coll. N. L. Bruce and J. Smith, NMW .Z.2001.061.00042.

Remarks. Coralliophaga coralliophaga has rarely been found on Rodrigues probably due to its inaccessible habitat (coral crevices) rather than any true rarity. Juvenile shells ( figure 145 ) lack the radial and lamellose sculpture that develops in the adult ( figure 146 ). Similar juvenile shells, from marine caves, were described by Hayami and Kase (1993) as a new species, Coralliophaga hyalina . We could not attribute any of the Rodrigues material to species other than C. coralliophaga .

Genus Glossocardia Stoliczka, 1870

Type species: Cypricardia obesa Reeve, 1843 .

Figures

FIGS. 145–147. Coralliophaga coralliophaga, NMW.Z.2001.061.00042: (145, 146) external right valves (MontageTM); (147) hinge view, left valve (SEM).