Relevant Synonyms Fundella lioyi de Gregorio, 1884 Ostrea regula Forsskål, 1775 Malleus regulus (Forsskål, 1775) [Boss and Moore, 1967] Misidentification -  photo: S. Gofas / Coll. G. Bitar

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell slightly inequivalve, strongly inequilateral. Outline variable, resembling a spathule. The not well developed wings, the posterior one being obsolete, and an elongate dorso-ventrally curved but irregular shell, are diagnostic of the species. Ventral margin often sinuous, occasionally expanded; Ligament in a single triangular pit. Internal shell nacrous. color : color pattern variable, brown-purple throughout to greyish-yellow with purple brown spots to greyish yellow. common size : shell to 70 mm in height. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The spathulate shape often irregular and distorted and the lack of prominent wings distinguish it from other congeneric species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Unknown. habitat : at depths 1.5-59 m, in rock crevices or under stones. Attached by byssus among rocks, stones and coral debris.

1st Mediterranean record Israel and Lebanon, 1931 [no collecting date]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Tropical Indo-Pacific, including Persian Gulf and Red Sea; recorded in the Suez Canal (Tillier and Bavay, 1905 as Malleus regula). Mediterranean: recorded first from Israel and Lebanon (Moazzo, 1931); successively from Palestine (Haas, 1937); Kyrenia, Cyprus (Demetropoulos, 1971); southern Turkey (Falchi, 1974); Egypt (Barash and Danin, 1977a); Libya (Giannuzzi-Savelli et al., 2001); Simi, Greece (Giannuzzi-Savelli et al., 2001). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Well established in the far eastern Mediterranean where it is frequent. speculated reasons for success : adaptation to subtropical hydrological parameters. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Barash A. and Danin Z., 1973. The Indo-Pacific species of mollusca in the Mediterranean and notes on a collection from the Suez canal. Israel Journal of Zoology, 21(3-4): 301-374. Boss K.J. and Moore D.R., 1967. Notes on Malleus (Parimalleus) candeanus (d' Orbigny) (Mollusca, Bivalvia). Bulletin of Marine Science, 17(1): 85-94. Kinzelbach R., 1985. Lesseps'sche Wanderung: neue stationen von Muscheln (Bivalvia: Anisomyaria). Archiv fur Molluskenkunde, 115 (4-6): 273-278.   Moazzo G., 1931. Contribution à la faune malacologique marine des côtes libano-syriennes In: Les Etats de Syrie; Richesses marines et fluviatiles. Exploitation actuelle et avenir. Bibl. Faune des Colon. Franç., Paris: 437-453. van Aartsen J.J., 1963. Overpeininzingen bij een regenachtige zomer. Correspondentieblad van de Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging, 107: 1115-1 116. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update : January 2005 ©ciesm 2002