Gigantidas gladius is a species of large, deepwater, hydrothermal vent mussel, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, or mussels.
Gigantidas gladius | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Mytilida |
Family: | Mytilidae |
Genus: | Gigantidas |
Species: | G. gladius
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Binomial name | |
Gigantidas gladius Marshall, 2003
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Distribution and habitat edit
These mussels are found around deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand. They form dense beds in these sites.
Description edit
The shells of this species are up to 30 cm long.
References edit
- SeaLifeBase
- Photo
- TePapa Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine