Tawera elliptica (Lamark, 1818)

Rosenfeld, Sebastian, Aldea, Cristian, Mansilla, Andres, Marambio, Johanna & Ojeda, Jaime, 2015, Richness, systematics, and distribution of molluscs associated with the macroalga Gigartina skottsbergii in the Strait of Magellan, Chile: A biogeographic affinity study, ZooKeys 519, pp. 49-100 : 74

Tawera elliptica (Lamark, 1818) Fig. 7H

Material examined.

9 spm (8 × 10 - 10 × 11 mm).

Synonymy.

See Gordillo (2006).

Remarks.

The morphology of this species is similar to the smallest specimens of Retrotapes exalbidus . Zelaya (2009b) showed that they can be differentiated in that Tawera elliptica has wider cords and finer interspaces and the inside of the shell is either purplish or brownish. All specimens collected during this study had a strong violet coloring on the inside of the valves.

Distribution.

WTSP: Valparaíso ( Húpe 1854, Osorio and Bahamonde 1970). Magellanic: Gulf of Corcovado ( Cárdenas et al. 2008), and Traiguén Island ( Reid and Osorio 2000); Strait of Magellan ( USNM 2010): Punta Santa María (this record), Dawson Island ( USNM 2010), and Carlos III Island ( Aldea et al. 2011a); Beagle Channel ( Rochebrune and Mabille 1889), Ushuaia ( USNM 2010), Puerto Williams ( Dell 1971), Orange Bay ( Rochebrune and Mabille 1889), and Cape Horn ( USNM 2010); Malvinas/Falkand Islands ( Dell 1964, Linse 1997), and Staten Island ( USNM 2010). WTSA: Río Grande do Sul and Uruguay ( Gordillo 2006), and Buenos Aires Province ( Carcelles 1944).