Relevant Synonyms Mactra glabrata Gmelin, 1791 Mactra striata Gmelin, 1791 Mesodesma striatum [Moazzo, 1939] Atactodea striata [Barash and Danin, 1977a] Misidentification -  drawing: Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell small, solid, equivalve, slightly inequilateral. Outline very variable, oval, subtrigonal. Sculpture of weak, dense concentric lines. Hinge strong contracted with short lateral teeth; cardinals of lv not bifid. Ligament internal on a narrow and deep resilium. Pallial sinus very short. Margin smooth. color : dirty white. common size : shell to 30 mm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Often confused with A. striata Gmelin, 1791 which is almost equilateral and ovate while A. glabrata is slightly inequilateral and triangular. Since there are many intermediate, transitional forms the two species may be considered as variations of the same species (Satyamurti, 1956). BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Poorly known. Lives as a shallow burrower in littoral and sublittoral sands (Oliver, 1992). habitat : specimens washed ashore; generally in sands, mainly littoral.

1st Mediterranean record Israel, 1977 [1973]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea; recorded from the Suez Canal (Tillier and Bavay, 1905). Mediterranean: reported only in 1973 as Atactodea striata from Netanya, Israel (Barash and Danin, 1977a). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare; record based on two specimens only. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Barash A. and Danin Z., 1977a. Additions to the knowledge of Indo-Pacific Mollusca in the Mediterranean. Conchiglie, 13(5-6): 85-116. Satyamurti S.T., 1956. The Mollusca of Krusadai Island (in the Gulf of Manaar). Bulletin of Madras Government Museum, Part II: 136-137. Tillier L. and Bavay A., 1905. Les mollusques testacés du Canal de Suez. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 30: 170-181.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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