Barbatia barbata

Barbatia barbata is a species of ark clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Arcidae, the ark clams.

Barbatia barbata
Shell of Barbatia barbata from Sicily at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Arcida
Family:	Arcidae
Genus:	Barbatia
Species:	B. barbata
Binomial name
Barbatia barbata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Arca bonnaniana Risso, 1826 Arca cylindrica Wood, 182 Arca magellanica Bruguière, 1789 Barbatia eximia Dunker, 1866

Description

Fossil, Miocene

The shell of an adult Barbatia barbata can be as large as 35–100 millimetres (1.4–3.9 in). The shape of the shell of this common species is quite variable. Usually it is oblong and flattened, with many radial ribs cut by concentric lines. When alive or fresh dead, the shell has a characteristic hairy dark periostracum (hence the Latin name barbata, meaning "bearded"), covering the entire surface of the shell except for the apical part.

Right and left valve of the same specimen:

• 
  Right Valve
• 
  Left valve

Barbatia barbata var elongata
Right and left valve of the same specimen:

• 
  Right Valve
• 
  Left valve

Distribution

This ark clam is found along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, especially in Greece, Italy and Tunisia.

Habitat

This species lives on rocky or coralligenous (coral-bearing) seabed.

References

• Repetto G., Orlando F. & Arduino G. (2005) - Conchiglie del Mediterraneo - Published by Amici del Museo "Federico Eusebio", Alba, Italy
• Biolib
• WoRMS
• Conchiglie veneziane