Delesserti Venus Clam Shell, Tivela delessertii

Delesserti Venus Clam Shell, Tivela delessertii. Size: 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) x 2.8 cm (1.1 inches).  Shell collected in the greater Loreto area, Baja California Sur, July 2016. Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Phylogeny: The Delesserti Venus Clam, Tivela delessertii (G.B. Sowerby II, 1832), is a bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Veneridae Family of Venus Clam Shells. The genus Tivela is one of one hundred seven genera in this Family, and there are twenty-eight species in this genus.

Description: The Delesserti Venus Clam shell has has a trigonal profile. It is fairly thin in structure and moderately inflated. The exterior of the shell is sculpted by very fine concentric ridges. The exterior is white to yellowish in color, with variable light to dark brown markings. The interior is white with variable amounts of purple blotching. They are covered with a thin, clear periostracum. Delesserti Venus Clam shells reach 4.1 cm (1.6 inches) in length and 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Delesserti Venus Clams reside intertidally, and are found within sand substrate. They are a tropical Eastern Pacific species In Mexican waters they range from Mulege, Baja California Sur to Guatemala. They are absent from the west coast of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior:  Delesserti Venus Clams are suspension feeders that feed primarily on plankton and suspended organic matter. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Cytherea delessertii, Cytherea nitidula, and Tivela (Tivela) deleesertii.