Hi Steve,

Thanks for your suggestion of Perna viridis, which may prove correct. The critical part of ID is probably the hinge area. Anyone up for a couple of images?

David Kirsh
Durham, NC

-----Original Message-----
>From: Steve Rosenthal <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sep 7, 2013 9:33 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [CONCH-L] on the subject of (giant) mussels
>
>Carole's post of earlier today reminded me...a few days ago David Kirsh had
>the following post..
>
>"My previous post on this apparently didn't go through (at least I
>>didn't get it).
>>
>>I picked up a 200mm curved Mytilid on a sandbar in the Phuket Sea,
>>Thailand, which was never identified despite attempts by Kevin
>>Lamprell and others on this list 12 years ago. It has smoothish
>>periostracum and a nacreous interior. Kevin felt this was possibly a
>>Septifer.
>>
>>Ideas, bivalve people?
>>
>>David Kirsh
>>Durham, NC"
>
>David- i think your shell is most likely Perna virdis, and a big one at
>that. I have one i got in phuket in 2002 that is about 150mm. The only
>other I-P mussel i know that gets near that size is the broader/hairier
>(periostracum-wise) Stavelia horrida/subdistorta.  I would have thought
>Kevin Lamprell would have steered you that way, though i dont think viridis
>is found in Australia so maybe it didnt occur to him for that reason.
>
>In related news I found the following interesting item all over the
>internet apparently in connection with the term "giant mussels"!  and
>associated with the capsize of that italian cruise ship awhile ago, the one
>where the Captain brought the ship too close to shore.
>
>Check out the articles or videos online to see what the "Giant Mussels"
>really are!!!
>
>TRY googling  YOU TUBE COSTA CONCORDIA GIANT MUSSELS....
>
>Back in January, a cruise ship named Costa Concordia capsized off the coast
>of Italy, and workers are still trying to extract it from the sand.
>
>Only recently, as many as 200 giant mussels were found to be hiding under
>the capsized cruise ship, and researchers are now doing their best in
>rescuing them before the wreck removal process harms them in any way.
>
>Apparently, giant mussels used to be a common sight in the past, yet over-
>hunting and changes in their environment caused their population to shrink
>to a considerable extent.
>
>“First we monitored the mussels, counted them, checked their population and
>measured them.”
>
>“Then we took them one by one, delicately removing them from the seabed, as
>delicately as possible since the tip is their most vulnerable part,”
>explains marine biologist Andrea Belluscio.
>
>Once the ship is removed, the giant mussels will be brought back to their
>original habitat.
>
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