Montacuta substriata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Montacuta substriata | |
|---|---|
_Figure_6.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Galeommatida |
| Superfamily: | Galeommatoidea |
| Family: | Lasaeidae |
| Genus: | Montacuta |
| Species: | M. substriata |
| Binomial name | |
| Montacuta substriata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Montacuta substriata is a species of small marine bivalve mollusc in the family Lasaeidae. It is found on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean where it is often associated with a sea urchin, such as Spatangus purpureus. This species was first described in 1808 by the English naturalist George Montagu who gave it the name Ligula substriata. It was later transferred to the genus Montacuta, making it Montacuta substriata.[1]
Montacuta substriata is a very small oval bivalve, commonly about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, but sometimes up to twice that length. It has a smooth, pale yellow shell and attaches itself to one of the smaller spines on the oral surface (underside) of a sediment-dwelling sea urchin, such as Spatangus purpureus or an Echinocardium species. It usually attaches near the anus, where it is difficult to distinguish from a coarse grain of sand.[2]