Wide Gari Shell, Gari lata 

Wide Gari Shell, Gari lata. Shell collected from the beach in the greater San Diego area, San Diego California, February 2014. Size: 5.8 cm (2.3 inches) x 3.3 cm (1.3 inches). Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Wide Gari, Gari lata (Deshayes, 1855), is bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Psammobiliidae Family of Sunset Clams. The shells have a thin and only slightly inflated with a rectangular to oval profile. The anterior end of the shell is broadly rounded with a cropped appearance and the anterior end is broadly rounded. The shell has a low beak and the exterior surface has fine concentric ridges. The exterior of the shell is whitish to tan in color, with purplish-brown rays; the interior is white to light purple. They are covered with a thin brown periostracum. The Wide Gari Shell reach a maximum of 6.6 cm (2.6 inches) in length and 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) in height.

Wide Gari’s are found within sand substrate in the intertidal zone to depths up to 110 m (360 feet). They range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Ecuador and are found in the Sea of Cortez, from Gonzaga Bay, Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

Synonyms include Psammobia lata and Psammobia regularis.