Spondylus powelli E. A. Smith, 1892
SMITH, E. A. 1892. Description of a new species of Spondylus and a new Helix. Journal of Conchology, 7: 70-72. [p. 70]
«Spondylus powelli.
Testa magna, subglobosa, solidissinia, rubro-purpurea; valvae leviter obliquae, postice productae; sinistra costis circiter 11 subaequidistantibus, tenuibus, spinis brevibus armatis, et inter costas aliis minus conspicuis instructa, lineis radiantibus tenuissimis minute squamulatis incrementique lineis undulatis pulcherrime sculpta; valva dextra prope marginem costis numerosis subaequalibus instructa, intus sub cardine profunde excavata; pagina interna albida, viride vel livido plus minus tincta, ad marginem saturate roseo vel purpureo limbata, utrinque versus auriculas tenuiter denticulata vel crenulata, ad marginem ventralem dentibus fortioribus munita; area ligamenti triangularis valvae dextrae magna, fere aequilateralis, ad apicem postice inclinata; dentes valvae sinistrae fusco tincta, sinistrae fere albi.
Longit. circa 125 millim., alt. ab. apice valvae dextrae ad marginem ventralem 150 mill., valvae sinistae 130; diam. 90 mill.
Hab.: Madeira, at a depth of four fathoms (Powell); Porto Grande, San Vincent, Cape Verde Islands, in Brit. Mus., collected by J. Macgillivray during the voyage of H.M.S. Herald.
This is a very solid ponderous species, remarkable for the brightly coloured border within the valves and the character of the sculpture. This consists in the left or upper valve of about eleven radiating sub-equidistant ribs, which bear numerous very short blunted spines. The spaces between these principal ribs are divided by very narrow radiating sulci into five or six less pronounced ribs, which, at their terminations, form notches at the margin. In addition to these ribs the entire surface, when not overgrown or abraded, exhibits a very minute sculpture consisting of extremely fine and minutely prickly or squamate radiating lirae, crossed by fine wavy lines of growth. The right or attached valve appears to be more equally and more strongly ribbed than the other. The ribs are finer at the sides towards the auricles, and rather stronger towards the posterior lower part than in front, the crenulation of the margin varying in coarseness accordingly. The ligamental area of the right valve is large, as usual in most species, curves slightly backwards, is nearly equilaterally triangular, the groove being only visible near the apex. The interior of the valves between the pallial line and the purple, coral-red, or deep rose border, is white, the rest of the surface enclosed by the pallial line is dirty whitish, and more or less stained with patches of a greenish or livid tint. The strong hinge-teeth in the left or upper valve are stained with brown, and also the dentiform projections on each side in the other valve. The two central teeth in this valve, between which the ligament rests, are generally white. The inner margin of the valves on each side at, and a little below, the auricles is very finely crenulated, and all round the ventral part it is more coarsely denticulate. The colour of the upper valve is uniformly an intense purple red, the lower one being somewhat paler.
Of the three specimens obtained by Mr. Powell, after whom I have much pleasure in naming this species, one was detached from a flat smooth surface, and from its flattened side, the rest of the surface slopes outward. The other two examples are much more coated with nullipores, worm-tubes, etc., and apparently have only had a very irregular attachment.» EDGAR ALBERT SMITH, 1892
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