Bright Lucine Shell, Cavilinga lampra

Bright Lucine Shell, Cavilinga lampra. Size: 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) x 2.1 cm (0.8 inches). Shell collected from the beach in the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, March 2003. Shell collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah

The Bright Lucine, Cavilinga lampra (Dall, 1901), is a bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Lucinidae Family of Lucines. The name lampra comes from the Greek word meaning bright, shiny, or fine; all of which describe this pretty shell. The shell has a circular profile with a small, sharp, beak that has a furrow that offsets the posterior end. The exterior of the shell is sculpted with numerous, very fine, concentric ridges, and a few heavy concentric ridges. The shell is a shiny white with pink or orange tinges. The Bright Lucine Shell reach a maximum of 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) in length and 2.3 cm (0.9 inches) in height.

Bright Lucine Shells are found intertidally to depths up to 70 m (230 feet) and are found throughout the Sea of Cortez and south to Columbia, including the Revillagigedo Islands. They have not been documented from the west coast of the Baja Peninsula.

A synonym is Phacoides lamprus.