Limaria loscombi Sowerby, G.B. I 1823

Limaria loscombi (Sowerby, G.B. I, 1823)

Fig. 6 h–j

Lima loscombi Sowerby G.B. I, 1823 (part 17-unnumbered page, pl. 113, fig. 4). Lima loscombii G.B. Sowerby—Jeffreys 1879 (p. 564).

Lima loscombii Sowerby—Hidalgo 1917 (p. 386).

Lima loscombi Sowerby—Tebble 1966 (p. 66, pl. 11, figs. c, m).

Limea (Limatulella) loscombei [sic] (Sowerby, 1820)— Nordsieck 1969 (p. 59, pl. 10, fig. 36.30).

Limea loscombii (Sowerby, 1823) — Barash & Danin 1992 (p. 257).

Limaria loscombii (Sowerby, 1820) — Poppe & Goto 1993 (p. 76, pl. 12, fig. 11). Limea loscombi (G.B. Sowerby I, 1823) — Giannuzzi-Savelli et al. 2001 (p. 222, figs. 472–473). Limea loscombii (Sowerby G.B. I, 1823) — Repetto et al. 2005 (p. 305, top left fig.). Limaria loscombi (G B Sowerby I, 1823) — Oliver et al. 2016 (online resource).

Diagnostic characters. Suboval, oblique shell; rounded anterior side; nearly straight posterior side; large ligamental pit occupying most of the hinge line; weak radial riblets vanishing towards the anterior side and almost absent over the umbonal area. Prodissoconch: shell type ST-2A; P-2 length about 240 µm; equilateral triangular outline; convex profile; P-1 surface rough; P-1/P-2 boundary ill-defined; P-2 with commarginal threads on the later stages; transition to the nepioconch marked by a narrow, flattened lip.

Occurrence. Box-corer sample BC72 (1 specimen). Height: 6 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Limaria loscombi ranges from Norway and Iceland to West Africa, the Azores, Cape Verde and into the Mediterranean, dwelling on various soft substrates from infralittoral to bathyal depths, often associated with sponges (Nordsieck 1969; Barash & Danin 1992; Poppe & Goto 1993; Oliver et al. 2016). Pérès & Picard (1964) regarded the species as an exclusive characteristic element of DC (coastal detritic bottom) biocoenosis.

Fossil record. Pliocene of Sicily (Monterosato 1872).