Laevichlamys squamosa (Gmelin,
1791)
37.1mm
I
find this one a bit confusing. The shell resembles published figures of Laevichlamys
squamosa and L. cuneata.
Right now I'm putting them as the former but that is subject to change. The
species is moderately
common under rocks on lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs. The shell is usually
well covered with sponges and other encrusting organisms, which can make it
hard to distinguish from other pectens that often have the same kind of coats.
The red eyes distinguish encrusted specimens from the black eyed Laevichlamys
limatula. Like many other pectens, when exposed to light, these will
often swim away by flapping their valves.
The one below with its fine close-set
ribs could be a purple Laevichlamys limatula.
Created
9 January 2018
Updated 22 October 2022
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