(Lovén, 1846)

Description:
Shell quite convex, with a relatively long spout. Can be confused with Cuspidaria cuspidata , but the shell is thinner and the lateral teeth are triangular, pointed. Surface of shell smooth, glossy and transparent.

Size:
Up to 14 mm long.

Colour:
White.

Animal:
The siphons are relatively short and the hinder part of the shell is drawn out to partially cover them; their orifices are protected by long tentacles whose ends are divided into several finger-like points. The Cuspidarians are the only truly carnivorous bivalves. The gill is a muscular septum and the pumping and sucking action of this draws in food consisting mainly of dead crustacea.

Habitat:
In depths of 200-600 m.

Distribution:
Quite common in Denmark, in the deep waters of the Skagerak. Along the Swedish and Norwegian coasts up to the North Cape. Further in great depths (500 m) in the Atlantic Ocean and the east coast of North America (Distr. C. obesa).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Subclass Anomalodesmata
Order Pholadomyoida
Family Cuspidariidae
Genus Cuspidaria
Species Cuspidaria obesa

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Cuspidaria obesa (Lovén, 1846)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Neaera obesa Lovén, 1846

Sars, G.O., 1878. Bidrag til Kundskaben om Norges Arktiske Fauna. I. Mollusca Regionis Arcticae Norvegiae. Oversigt over de i Norges Arktiske Region forekommende Bløddyr. Christiania Universitets program. 466 pp.

Seaward, D.R., 1990. Distribution of the marine molluscs of north west Europe. Nature Conservancy Council.

Step, E., 1927. Shell life. 421 pp. Frederick Warne & Co., LTD, London.

Tebble, N., 1966. British Bivalve Seashells. 212 pp. Trustees of The British Museum (Natural history). London.

You can continue searching for Cuspidaria obesa on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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