List of marine molluscs of South Africa

The list of marine molluscs of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the molluscan fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the land or freshwater molluscs.

Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements

Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda. The members are known as molluscs or mollusks (/ˈmɒləsk/). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species. The proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied.

Molluscs are the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Numerous molluscs also live in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. They are highly diverse, not just in size and anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and habitat. The phylum is typically divided into 8 or 9 taxonomic classes, of which two are entirely extinct. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates—and either the giant squid or the colossal squid is the largest known invertebrate species. The gastropods (snails and slugs) are by far the most numerous molluscs and account for 80% of the total classified species. (Full article...)

Gastropoda

See List of marine gastropods of South Africa

Bivalvia

Bivalves in South Africa include:

Nuculidae

  • Nucula nucleus Linnaeus, 1758[1]

Mytilidae – Mussels

Perna perna

Arcidae – Ark clams

  • Arca avellana Lamarck, 1819 (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]
  • Arca navicularis Brughiere, 1789[1]
  • Arca tortuosa Linnaeus 1758[1]
  • Barbatia candida (Helbling, 1779) syn. Arca helblingi[1]
  • Oblique ark shell Barbatia obliquata (Cape Columbine to Mozambique)[2]

Noetiidae

  • Striarca symmetrica (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]

Pinnidae – Pen shells

Gryphaeidae

  • Hyotissa numisma(Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Ostreidae – True oysters

  • Weed oyster Ostrea algoensis Sowerby, 1871[1]
  • Ostrea atherstonei (Saldanha Bay to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[2]
  • Natal rock oyster Saccostrea cuccullata (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2] (syn. Crassostrea cucculata)
  • Cape rock oyster Striostrea margaritacea (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]

Anomiidae – Saddle oysters

  • Saddle oyster Anomia achaeus (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]

Gryphaeidae – Honeycomb oysters

  • Hyotissa numisma[2]

Pteriidae – Pearl oysters

  • Cape pearl oyster Pinctada capensis (Cape Agulhas to Mozambique)[2]

Pectinidae – Scallops

Limidae – File shells

  • File shell Limaria tuberculata (Cape Columbine to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[2]

Cardiidae – Cockles

  • Cockle Trachycardium flavum (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)[2]
  • Trachycardium rubicundum (Eastern Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Tridacnidae – Giant clams

Mactridae – Trough shells

  • Otter shell Lutraria lutraria (Namibia to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Smooth trough shell Mactra glabrata (Cape Columbine to Mozambique)[2]
  • Angular surf clam Scissodesma spengleri (Cape Point to Eastern Cape)[2]

Carditidae

  • Rectangular false cockle Cardita variegata (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Dead man's hands Thecalia concamerata (Port Nolloth to Transkei)[2]

Condylocardiidae

  • Rough false cockle Carditella rugosa (Mossel Bay to central KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Carditella capensis (West coast)[2]

Solenidae

  • Pencil bait Solen capensis (Namaqualand to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Solen cylindraceus (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]

Lucinidae

  • Smooth platter shell Loripes clausus Philippi 1848 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]

Unionidae

  • Toothless platter shell Anodontia edentula Linnaeus 1758 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]

Lasaeidae

  • Dwarf rusty clam Lasaea adansoni turtoni (Cape Point to Mozambique)Gmelin 1791[2]
  • Tellimya trigona (West coast)[2]

Tellinidae

Gastrana matadoa
  • Ridged tellin Gastrana matadoa (Cape Point to northern KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Littoral tellin Macoma litoralis (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Port Alfred tellin Tellina alfredensis Linnaeus 1758 (Cape Point to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[2]
  • Tellina capsoides (Durban to Mozambique)[2]
  • Gilchrist's tellin Tellina gilchristi (Cape Columbine to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Tellina trilatera (Orange river to Transkei)[2]

Teredinidae

  • Shipworm Bankia carinata (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]

Donacidae – Wedge shells

  • Donax bipartitus (East London to Mozambique)[2]
  • Round ended wedge shell Donax burnupi (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]
  • Slippery wedge shell Donax lubricus (Port Alfred to Mozambique)[2]
  • Ridged wedge shell Donax madagscariensis (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • White mussel or Wedge shell Donax serra (Namibia to Transkei)[2]
  • Donax sordidus (Cape Point to Transkei)[2]

Psammobiidae – Sunset clams

  • Sunset clam Hiatula lunulata (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • Sand tellin Psammotellina capensis (Cape Agulhas to Transkei)[2]

Veneridae – Venus shells

  • Heart clam Dosinia lupinus orbignyi (Namibia to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Dosinia hepatica (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Beaked clam Eumarcia paupercula (Mossel Bay to Mozambique)[2]
  • Ribbed venus Gafrarium pectinatum alfredense (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)[2]
  • Zigzag clam Pitar abbreviatus (Cape Point to Mozambique)[2]
  • Mottled venus Sunetta contempta bruggeni? (Cape Point to northern KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Streaked sand clam Tivela compressa (Cape Point to Eastern Cape)[2]
  • Tivela polita (Transkei to Mozambique)[2]
  • Corrugated venus Venerupis corrugatus (Namibia to central KwaZulu-Natal)[2]
  • Warty venus Venus verrucosa(Namibia to Mozambique)[2][3]

Polyplacophora
Hairy chiton Chaetopleura (Chaetopleura) papilio

Chitons (Polyplacophora) in South Africa include:

Ischnochitonidae

Chitonidae

Callochitonidae

Acanthochitona

Chaetopleuridae

Cephalopoda

Cephalopods in South Africa include:

Octopoda – Octopus
Common octopus Octopus vulgaris

Octopodidae

Argonautidae

Paper nautilus Argonauta argo
Teuthida – Squid

Loliginidae

Sepiolida – Bobtail squid
  • Unidentified species (Cape Peninsula, both sides)[3]
Sepiida – Cuttlefish

Sepiidae

Spirulida – Ram's horn squid

Spirulidae

Scaphopoda

Tusk shells (Scaphopoda) in South Africa include:

Dentaliidae

  • Dentalium regulare E.A. Smith, 1903 (Jeffreys Bay to Durban)[4][6]
  • Antalis longirostrum (Reeve, 1843) (Indo-Pacific to KwaZulu-Natal south coast)[4]

Gadilidae

  • Cadulus booceras Tomlin, 1926 [4][6]
  • Cadulus spp. Three other species known here, all inhabiting deep water[4]

See also

Lists of molluscs of surrounding countries:

References
  1. Day, J.H. A guide to marine life on South African shores. Balkema, Cape Town, 1969
  2. Branch, G.M. Griffiths, C.L. Branch, M.L. Beckley, L.E. Two Oceans: A guide to the marine life of southern Africa. 5th impression, David Philip, Cape Town, 2000. ISBN 0-86486-250-4
  3. Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
  4. Kilburn, R. and Rippey, E. Sea Shells of Southern Africa MacMillan South Africa 1982 ISBN 0-86954-094-7
  5. http://www.marinespecies.org accessed 11 January 2010
  6. Branch, George. and Branch, Margo. The living shores of southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town, 1981. ISBN 0-86977-115-9

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