Cuspidaria rostrata (Spengler, 1793) | Marine Bivalve Shells of the British Isles
Species Account

Cuspidaria rostrata (Spengler, 1793)

Verticordioidea : Cuspidariidae

Tebble name: Cuspidaria rostrata (Spengler)
Smith & Heppell name: Cuspidaria rostrata (Spengler, 1793)

To size: To 25mm. Shell Structure: Robust. Equivalve: Equivalve. Equilateral: Slightly inequilateral, beaks slightly in front of midline. Tumidity: Moderately inflated. Outline: Body of shell oval, oblique with ventral extremity well in front of the line through the beaks; anterior sloping steeply, gently curved; ventral curved. Rostrum very long slightly longer than length of body, narrowly triangular becoming cylindrical, dorsal slope straight, ventral margin weakly concave corresponding to weak sulcus at junction of rostrum and body.

Sculpture: Of fine concentric lines and growth stops on body and ventral part of rostrum, dorsal part of rostrum developing coarse vertically oriented ridges. Margin: Inner margin smooth. Ligament: Internal, on a small, posteriorly projecting, chondrophore. Hinge: Cardinal teeth absent; RV with a narrow, posterior, flange-like lateral and corresponding marginal projection in LV. Pallial Musculature: Pallial sinus very shallow. Periostracum: Often persistent, especially on rostrum, brownish. Colour: Dirty white, greyish.

Distribution & Ecology

A northern species found at the shelf edge in the northern North Sea and at deeper depths along the slope of the Atlantic margin.

Depth Range
Continental Shelf (to 200m)
Continental Margin Zone (200 - 500m)
Bathyal (500 - 2000m)

Additional Information & Related Species

References

Listed are literature citing Cuspidaria rostrata (Spengler, 1793). Reference containing the species Type Description is highlighted.

Spengler L 1793. Beskrivelse over et nyt Slægt af de toskallede Konchylier, forhen af mig kaldet Chæna, saa og over det Linnéiske Slægt Mya, hvilket nøiere bestemmes, og inddeles i tvende Slægter . Skrivter af Naturhistorie-Selskabet. 3(1): 16-69, pl.2.

Resources

  • Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland
    Provides resources for understanding, identifying, recording, and conserving molluscs
  • CLEMAM
    Check List of European Marine Mollusca
  • MarLIN
    The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland (MarLIN) provides information for marine environmental management, protection and education. It is a centre of excellence in spatially based and time-series marine biological information and supports good stewardship in the marine environment.
  • NBN Gateway
    National Biodiversity Network's Gateway. Use it to explore UK biodiversity data, as contributed by participating data providers.
  • BivAToL
  • MarBEF
  • Malacological Society
  • Unitas Malacologica
  • Census of Marine Life
  • MarBEF
    MarBEF, a network of excellence funded by the European Union and consisting of 94 European marine institutes, is a platform to integrate and disseminate knowledge and expertise on marine biodiversity, with links to researchers, industry, stakeholders and the general public.

Image Gallery

Record last modified: 22/03/2016