Coralichlamys acroporicola Iredale, 1939
IREDALE, T. 1939. Mollusca. Part 1. In Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928-29, B.M.(N.H.), Scientific Reports, 5 (6): 209-425, pls. 1-7. [p. 356, pl. 5, figs. 26, 26a]
«Coralichlamys acroporicola sp. nov. (Plate V, figs. 26, 26a.)
Nestling among the branches of coral a small "Chlamys" of very fine sculpture and somewhat irregularly shaped was found. This kind of shell has been commonly known as Pecten madreporarum Petit, but no such name is recorded by Sherborn in the 'Index Animalium', and apparently the name was first published by Sowerby ('Thes. Conch.' I, p. 68, pI. 14, fig. 68, 1842) for a Red Sea shell. Then Philippi ('Abbild. Beschr. Conch.' I, p. 203, pI. ii, figs. 4,5, December, 1844) used it for a shell from Java, and later Reeve ('Conch. Icon.' VIII, pI. xxviii, sp. 117, May, 1853) figured a broader shell, also
from Java. Sowerby's figure shows a strong radial sculpture with about nine (seven in description) prominent ribs, and intervening radials with no concentric sculpture, and measuring ·80 inch by ·66 inch, i. e. 20 x 16 mm. The Australian species reaches 29 mm. by 24 mm. and is then somewhat irregular in shape, the posterior side being produced. The young shell is of regular Chlamys shape, and neat sculpture, but very soon the sculpture becomes complex and the form distorts. Beginning with a smooth umbonal area, smooth radials arise, and these later produce fine prickly scalloping and intervening radials also develop and then also become prickly, so that in the senile the ribs are very numerous and prickly and are all overrun by concentric growth ridges, these predominating at the margin. The shells are all more or less distorted and worn through their habitat in life lodged between branches of coral held by a byssus.» TOM IREDALE, 1939
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T. Iredale, 1939, plate 5.
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