Presence of Modiolus lulat (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in Guardias Viejas, El Ejido, Almería (Spain)

During a study of the mollusc fauna present on washed ashore in the Guardias Viejas area of Almería (Spain), a zone with significant Atlantic influence due to surface currents, a population of Modiolus lulat was discovered. Numerous specimens were collected, some complete with periostracum and byssus, and compared with specimens from the Calahonda-Calaburras area in Málaga and with specimens of Modiolus barbatus from the province of Almería. This is the first population of this African species, considered threatened in Andalusia, found further east than Málaga. This record increases the known distribution of the species in the Alboran Sea and is relevant for its conservation