List of marine molluscs of South Africa

List of saltwater species that form a part of the molluscan fauna of South Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of marine molluscs of South Africa

The list of marine molluscs of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the molluscan fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the land or freshwater molluscs.

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Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements

Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (/ˈmɒləsks/). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The number of additional fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000, and the proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied.

Molluscs are the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. They are highly diverse, not just in size and anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and habitat, as numerous groups are freshwater and even terrestrial species. The phylum is typically divided into 7 or 8 taxonomic classes, of which two are entirely extinct. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates—and either the giant squid or the colossal squid is the largest known extant invertebrate species. The gastropods (snails, slugs and abalone) are by far the most diverse class and account for 80% of the total classified molluscan species. (Full article...)

Gastropoda

See List of marine gastropods of South Africa

Bivalvia

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Bivalves in South Africa include:

Nuculidae

  • Nucula nucleus Linnaeus, 1758[1]

Mytilidae – Mussels

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Perna perna

Arcidae – Ark clams

  • Arca avellana Lamarck, 1819 (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]
  • Arca navicularis Brughiere, 1789[1]
  • Arca tortuosa Linnaeus 1758[1]
  • Barbatia candida (Helbling, 1779) syn. Arca helblingi[1]
  • Oblique ark shell Barbatia obliquata (Cape Columbine to Mozambique)[2]

Noetiidae

  • Striarca symmetrica (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]

Pinnidae – Pen shells

Gryphaeidae

  • Hyotissa numisma (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Ostreidae – True oysters

  • Weed oyster Ostrea algoensis Sowerby, 1871[1]
  • Ostrea atherstonei (Saldanha Bay to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[2]
  • Natal rock oyster Saccostrea cuccullata (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2] (syn. Crassostrea cuccullata)
  • Cape rock oyster Striostrea margaritacea (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]

Anomiidae – Saddle oysters

  • Saddle oyster Anomia achaeus (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]

Gryphaeidae – Honeycomb oysters

  • Hyotissa numisma[2]

Pteriidae – Pearl oysters

  • Cape pearl oyster Pinctada capensis (Cape Agulhas to Mozambique)[2]

Pectinidae – Scallops

Limidae – File shells

Cardiidae – Cockles

  • Cockle Trachycardium flavum (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)[2]
  • Trachycardium rubicundum (Eastern Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Tridacnidae – Giant clams

Mactridae – Trough shells

Carditidae

  • Rectangular false cockle Cardita variegata (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Dead man's hands Thecalia concamerata (Port Nolloth to Transkei)[2]

Condylocardiidae

  • Rough false cockle Carditella rugosa (Mossel Bay to central KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Carditella capensis (West coast)[2]

Solenidae

  • Pencil bait Solen capensis (Namaqualand to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Solen cylindraceus (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Lucinidae

  • Smooth platter shell Loripes clausus Philippi 1848 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]

Unionidae

  • Toothless platter shell Anodontia edentula Linnaeus 1758 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]

Lasaeidae

Tellinidae

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Gastrana matadoa
  • Ridged tellin Gastrana matadoa (Cape Point to northern KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Littoral tellin Macoma litoralis (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Port Alfred tellin Tellina alfredensis Linnaeus 1758 (Cape Point to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[2]
  • Tellina capsoides (Durban to Mozambique)[2]
  • Gilchrist's tellin Tellina gilchristi (Cape Columbine to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Tellina trilatera (Orange river to Transkei)[2]

Teredinidae

Donacidae – Wedge shells

  • Donax bipartitus (East London to Mozambique)[2]
  • Round ended wedge shell Donax burnupi (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]
  • Slippery wedge shell Donax lubricus (Port Alfred to Mozambique)[2]
  • Ridged wedge shell Donax madagscariensis (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • White mussel or Wedge shell Donax serra (Namibia to Transkei)[2]
  • Donax sordidus (Cape Point to Transkei)[2]

Psammobiidae – Sunset clams

  • Sunset clam Hiatula lunulata (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • Sand tellin Psammotellina capensis (Cape Agulhas to Transkei)[2]

Veneridae – Venus shells

  • Heart clam Dosinia lupinus orbignyi (Namibia to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Dosinia hepatica (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Beaked clam Eumarcia paupercula (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Ribbed venus Gafrarium pectinatum alfredense (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]
  • Zigzag clam Pitar abbreviatus (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]
  • Mottled venus Sunetta contempta bruggeni? (Cape Point to northern KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Streaked sand clam Tivela compressa (Cape Point to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Tivela polita (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • Corrugated venus Venerupis corrugatus (Namibia to central KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Warty venus Venus verrucosa (Namibia to Mozambique)[2][3]

Polyplacophora

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Hairy chiton Chaetopleura (Chaetopleura) papilio

Chitons (Polyplacophora) in South Africa include:

Ischnochitonidae

Chitonidae

Callochitonidae

Acanthochitona

Chaetopleuridae

Cephalopoda

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Cephalopods in South Africa include:

OctopodaOctopus
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Common octopus Octopus vulgaris

Octopodidae

Argonautidae

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Paper nautilus Argonauta argo
TeuthidaSquid

Loliginidae

SepiolidaBobtail squid
  • Unidentified species (Cape Peninsula, both sides)[3]
SepiidaCuttlefish

Sepiidae

Spirulida – Ram's horn squid

Spirulidae

Scaphopoda

Tusk shells (Scaphopoda) in South Africa include:

Dentaliidae

  • Dentalium regulare E.A. Smith, 1903 (Jeffreys Bay to Durban)[4][6]
  • Antalis longirostrum (Reeve, 1843) (Indo-Pacific to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[4]

Gadilidae

  • Siphonodentalium booceras (Tomlin, 1926) [4][6]
  • Cadulus spp. Three other species known here, all inhabiting deep water[4]

See also

Lists of molluscs of surrounding countries:

References

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