Scaled Jewel Box Shell, Chama squamuligera

Scaled Jewel Box Shell, Chama squamuligera. Size: 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) x 1.6 cm (0.6 inches). Shell collected from the tidal pools within El Tule, Km 17, Baja California Sur, March 2010.

Phylogeny: The Scaled Jewel Box Shell, Chama echinata (Broderip, 1835), is a bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Chamidae Family of Jewel Boxes. The genus Chama is one of six genera in this family, and there are forty-two species in this genus. They are known in Mexico as Almeja Joyero.

Description: The Scaled Jewel Box Shell is chunky and irregularly circular in shape. Their shape is determined by the contour of the substrate to which they attach. The exterior surface is covered with short, irregular spines. The shell has a brown exterior and a bright purple, with pink or coral colored hinge teeth interiorly. The Scaled Jewel Box Shell reach a maximum of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) in length and 3.2 cm (1.3 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Scaled Jewel Box Shells are found attached to rocks and coral in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 90 m (295 feet). They range from Southern California to Peru, including the Cocos, Galapagos, and Revillagigedo Islands. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Chama garthi and Chama squamuligera.