Varicorbula gibba
Species of molluscs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Varicorbula gibba, the common basket-shell, is a species of bivalve in the family Corbulidae.
| Varicorbula gibba | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Myida |
| Family: | Corbulidae |
| Genus: | Varicorbula |
| Species: | V. gibba |
| Binomial name | |
| Varicorbula gibba (Olivi, 1792) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Taxonomy
The species was originally described in 1792 by the Italian zoologist Giuseppe Olivi under the protonym of Tellina gibba.[2] Some databases (e.g. SeaLifeBase) continue to classify it under the genus Corbula.[3]
Description
The shell of Varicorbula gibba can measure up to 11 mm (0.43 in).[3]
Right and left valve of the same specimen:
Right valve
Left valve
Distribution and habitat
Varicorbula gibba is a marine species which occurs in Europe in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. It has been introduced to Australia. The species occurs from sea level to a maximum depth of 25 m (82 ft) on sandbanks and areas rich with detritus.[3]