Dear Peter, Dear Conchlers,

the right of this Arcidae is Scapharca inaequivalvis (Bruguière, 1789) and it is indeed an
immigrant from the Indopacific to the Mediterranean ans specially to the Adriatic.
My mother found her first specimens of this species in 1978 at Jesolo Lido near Venice.
They live burried in the sand and also nearby the beach and people collect them to
eat. It is a very common species. A wellknown synonym is Scapharca cornea
(Reeve, 1844). They have a dark periostracum. If you can send a photo I probably can
say if it is this species. Hope this helps.
with best shelling greetings and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Helmut from Innsbruck

Helmut "Helix" Nisters
Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Innsbruck
phone and fax: 0043 / 512 / 57 32 14
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
web:    www.netwing.at/nisters/

office:
Natural History Department of the
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck
Feldstrasse 11 a
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
phone: 0043 / 512 / 58 72 86 - 37

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> I have an arc shell in my collection labeled Anadara(Scapharca)
> inequivalvis.  The label that came with it indicates that it was collected
> in mud, on low tide in Darwin, Austrailia.
>
> I thought that A. inequivalvis was a european species.  Can any one suggest
> what species this may be?  It is approx 49mm wide by 42mm long with a dark
> orange stain at the beak on both sides (from iron in the mud?) and has been
> cleaned so I can't tell you any thing about the peri.  It has about 38-39
> ribs and the valves are inequal as the name suggests.  Any suggestions?
>
> Also if anyone would like to trade Arcidae or Cardiidae let me know at the
> email address below.
>
> Beth DeHaas
> Whitefield, ME
> [log in to unmask]
>