Hi Linda and all-

Perhaps one of the shells you have is mis-labeled, as I find theses species
difficult to confuse with each other.

Lyrocardium anaxium Oliver and Chesney,1997, in my experience, is always
pink.  If the shell has periostracum, it doesn't obliterate the pink, but is
merely a thin grayish "wash" in patches.  This species ranges from the Red
Sea to Mozambique.

Lyrocardium aurantiacum (Adams and Reeve,1850) is usually a mottled
combination of warmer colored blotches (pale gold, brown) over white, with
some pink near the hinge.  The periostracum situation is pretty similar to
L. anaxium, in that the pattern shows through.  This is a much more
delicate, light-weight shell than anaxium and ranges from Japan to Indonesia
and Australia.

Lyrocardium lyratum (Sowerby,1841), minus its distinctive chipped
red-nail-polish periostracum, can look more like anaxium than auranticum
does.  The other two species in the genus are L. mulipunctatum
(Sowerby,1841), a flatter, speckled pink and red shell from the southwest
Pacific and L. aeolicum (Born,1780), a mottled red and white shell from west
Africa.

If you can email me a picture of the shells, I'd be glad to give you another
2 cents worth.

It was great to see you at COA, Linda!
Cheers,
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Bush" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 7:56 PM
Subject: [CONCH-L] Cardiidae


> Hi, Everyone!
>
> I was looking back at some Cardiums, and I found Laevicardium auratiacum
> and Lyrocardium anaxium - both from Mozambique and extrtemely similar
> looking.   Are these synonmyms?   If so, which is the valid name?
>
> Thanks,
> Linda
>
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