moenkhausia is a genus of freshwater fish in the family characidae native to tropical and subtropical south america .

these are medium-sized tetras where the largest species only reach around 12 cm ( 4.7 in ) .

the diamond tetra and red-eye tetra , which are commonly kept in aquaria , are members of this genus .

moenkhausia

pisces , moenkhausia cotinho , moenkhausia oligolepis / m . sanctaefilomenae species - complex , lateral - line perforation , tapajós , amazon
molecular analyses . dna sequences were obtained from : moenkhausia forestii lbp 3739 , lbp 4655 and lbp 5074 ; moenkhausia oligolepis lbp 4098 ; lbp 1498 and lbp 5073 ; moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae lbp 4695 .
description of three new species of moenkhausia ( teleostei , characiformes , characidae ) with the definition of the moenkhausia jamesi species complex .
description of three new species of moenkhausia ( teleostei , characiformes , characidae ) with the definition of the moenkhausia jamesi species complex . - pubmed - ncbi
key words : taxonomy , systematic , molecular phylogeny , coi gene , moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae .
moenkhausia celibela : a new species from the amazon basin , brazil ( characiformes : characidae ) .
moenkhausia celibela : a new species from the amazon basin , brazil ( characiformes : characidae ) . - pubmed - ncbi
s1 fig . metaphase plates of moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae after fish with 18s rdna and h3 histone genes probes and sequential ag - nor staining .
benine , r . c . , mariguela , t . c . & oliveira , c . ( 2009 ) new species of moenkhausia eigenmann , 1903 ( characiformes : characidae ) with comments on the moenkhausia oligolepis species complex . neotropical ichthyology , 7 , 161 – 168 . urltoken
new species of moenkhausia eigenmann ( characiformes : characidae ) from rio xingu and rio tapajós basins , brazil , with comments on a putative case of polymorphic batesian mimicry .
new species of moenkhausia eigenmann ( characiformes : characidae ) from rio xingu and rio tapajós basins , brazil , with comments on a putative case of . . . - pubmed - ncbi
costa , w . j . e . m . ( 1994 ) description of two new species of the genus moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from the central brazil . zoologischer anzeiger , 232 , 21–29 .
lima , f . c . t . & toledo - piza , m . ( 2001 ) new species of moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from the rio negro of brazil . copeia , 2004 , 1058–1063 .
benine , r . c . ( 2002 ) moenkhausia levidorsa , a new species from rio aripuanã , amazon basin , brazil ( characiformes : characidae ) . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters , 13 ( 4 ) , 289–294 .
costa , w . j . e . m . 1994 . description of two new species of the genus moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from the central brazil . zoologischer anzeiger , 232 : 21 - 29 . [ links ]
marinho , m . m . f . & langeani , f . ( 2010 ) moenkhausia celibela : a new species from the amazon basin , brazil ( characiformes : characidae ) . journal of fish biology , 77 , 879–889 .
marinho , m . m . f . & langeani , f . ( 2010 ) moenkhausia celibela : a new species from the amazon basin , brazil ( characiformes : characidae ) . journal of fish biology , 77 , 879–889 . urltoken
lima , f . c . t . & m . toledo - piza . 2001 . new species of moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from the rio negro of brazil . copeia , 2004 ( 4 ) : 1058 - 1063 . [ links ]
benine , r . c . ( 2004 ) análise filogenética do gênero moenkhausia eigenmann , 1903 ( characiformes : characidae ) com uma revisão dos táxons do alto rio paraná . unpublished m . sc . dissertation , universidade estadual paulista , botucatu , 317pp .
oliveira , g . d . & marinho , m . m . f . ( 2016 ) a new species of moenkhausia eigenmann , 1903 ( characiformes : characidae ) from the rio amazonas basin , brazil . zootaxa , 4093 ( 4 ) , 566–574 .
lucinda , p . h . f . , l . r . malabarba & r . c . benine . 2007 . on a new species of the genus moenkhausia eigenmann ( ostariophysi : characidae ) . zootaxa , 1525 : 61 - 68 . [ links ]
a new species of characidae , moenkhausia celibela , is described from the rio amazonas at santarém , rio maraú , several localities in the rio tapajós , rio curuá - una , rio xingu and rio jari , all from the amazon basin , brazil . the new species is distinguished from its congeners , except species included in géry ' s 1992 moenkhausia lepidura group , by presenting a dark blotch on the upper caudal - fin lobe , and the lower lobe is hyaline or light grey . moenkhausia celibela is distinguished from the species of the m . lepidura group by the absence of a humeral spot and the presence of a roughly triangular and dark spot at the caudal - fin base , extending posteriorly along the middle caudal - fin rays , and distinctly separate from the spot on the upper caudal - fin lobe .
petrolli , m . g . , azevedo - santos , v . m . & benine , r . c . ( 2016 ) moenkhausia venerei ( characiformes : characidae ) , a new species from the rio araguaia , central brazil . zootaxa , 4105 ( 2 ) , 159–170 .
sousa , l . m . , netto - ferreira , a . & birindelli , j . l . o . ( 2010 ) two new species of moenkhausia eigenmann ( characiformes : characidae ) from serra do cachimbo , pará , northern brazil . neotropical ichthyology , 8 , 255–264 . urltoken
the distributed characid genus moenkhausia was proposed by eigenmann ( 1903 ) based mainly on the combination of the presence of premaxillary teeth in two rows , an inner premaxillary tooth row with five or more teeth , a completely pored lateral line without a downward curve anteriorly , and a sheath of scales covering the base of caudal - fin lobes , characters still used to substantiate the generic allocation of new species to moenkhausia ( see benine et al . , 2007 ; lima et al . , 2007 ; lucinda et al . , 2007 ) , considering the nonexistence of a phylogenetic definition . currently allocated as incertae sedis in characidae , moenkhausia comprises , at present , 65 valid species widely distributed in the neotropical cis - andean river basins , except for those in patagonia , with its greatest diversity occurring in the basins of the amazon and guianas ( lima et al . , 2003 ) .
ohara , w . m . & lima , f . c . t . ( 2015 ) moenkhausia uirapuru , a new species from the upper rio guaporé , chapada dos parecis , mato grosso , brazil ( teleostei : characidae ) . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters , 26 ( 2 ) , 159–170 .
citation : utsunomia r , silva dmzda , ruiz - ruano fj , araya - jaime c , pansonato - alves jc , scacchetti pc , et al . ( 2016 ) uncovering the ancestry of b chromosomes in moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae ( teleostei , characidae ) . plos one 11 ( 3 ) : e0150573 . urltoken
distribution . moenkhausia forestii is known from tributaries from rio paraguay drainage ( mato grosso and mato grosso do sul states ) , from rio baía ( upper rio paraná system at batayporã , mato grosso do sul state ) and from rio paraná ( at porto rico , paraná state ) ( fig . 3 ) .
mariguela , t . c . , benine , r . c . , abe , k . t . , avelino , g . s . & oliveira , c . ( 2013 ) molecular phylogeny of moenkhausia ( characidae ) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear dna evidence . journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research , 51 , 327–332 .
benine , r . c . , r . m . c . castro & a . c . a . santos . 2007 . a new moenkhausia eigenmann , 1903 ( characiformes : characidae ) from chapada diamantina , rio paraguaçu basin , bahia , northeastern brazil . neotropical ichthyology , 5 ( 3 ) : 259 - 262 . [ links ]
lima , f . c . t . , britski , h . a . & machado , f . a . ( 2007 ) a new moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from central brazil , with comments on the area relationship between the upper rio tapajós and upper rio paraguai systems . aqua , international journal of ichthyology , 13 , 45–54 .
the taxonomic status of all species in the genus moenkhausia is currently incertae sedis , meaning uncertain . the genus is currently used as something of a catch - all for a large number of small characin species . most experts agree that a full revision is required , with the likely outcome that many of these will be placed into new or different genera .
a new species of moenkhausia is described from tributaries of the lower amazon basin , pará state , brazil . the new species is morphologically similar to moenkhausia collettii , m . copei , and m . venerei by the presence of a dark horizontal stripe across the middle portion of the eye , a conspicuous slightly rounded humeral blotch , a dark longitudinal midlateral stripe and a dark stripe along the anal - fin base . however , the new species can be distinguished from m . collettii , m . copei , and m . venerei mainly by the number of cusps on the inner row of the premaxillary , maxillary and dentary teeth , and by the number of scales in transversal series above and below the lateral line .
from the examination of extensive comparative material currently identified as m . jamesi we verified that there are , at least , three new species under this name . these , along with m . jamesi and m . justae , form what we herein called the m . jamesi species complex , by sharing the following group of characters : a short maxilla , with its distal margin not exceeding anterior third of the second infraorbital ; first through third teeth of the inner row of premaxilla and first and second dentary teeth with cusps arranged in a pronounced arch , humeral spot positioned between the fourth and seventh scales of the lateral line and extending up to four scale rows above the lateral line and one scale row below the lateral line , and a vertically oval to round spot at the base of the caudal fin rays . moenkhausia ischyognatha sp . n . , from rio xingu basin , differs from the other species of the complex by its lower head depth . moenkhausia alesis sp . n . , from the river system tocantins - araguaia , differs from m . jamesi , m . ischyognatha , and m . sthenosthoma by the number of scale rows above the lateral line . moenkhausia sthenosthoma sp . n . , from the rio madeira basin , differs from m . jamesi by the number of scale rows between the lateral line and the midventral scale series . moenkhausia justae can be diagnosed from the other species of the complex by having a tri to pentacuspidate tooth on the maxilla .
lima , f . c . t . , briski , h . a . & machado , f . a . ( 2007 ) a new moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from central brazil , with comments on the area relationship between the upper rio tapajós and the upper rio paraguai systems . aqua , international journal of ichthyology , 13 ( 2 ) , 45–54 .
lima , f . c . t . , h . a . britski & f . a . machado . 2007 . a new moenkhausia ( characiformes : characidae ) from central brazil , with comments on the area relationship between the upper rio tapajós and upper rio paraguai systems . aqua international journal of ichthyology , 13 ( 2 ) : 45 - 54 . [ links ]
despite the similar color pattern , these species are easily differentiated from each other on the basis of number of lateral line scales and number of series of scales above and below lateral line . nonetheless , misidentifications between moenkhausia oligolepis and m . sanctaefilomenae are common . according to lima et al . ( 2003 ) , m . oligolepis occurs in the guianas and in the amazon river basin , whereas m . sanctaefilomenae is distributed in the parnaíba , são francisco , upper paraná , paraguay and uruguay river systems . detailed examination revealed that not does only moenkhausia oligolepis occur in the rio paraguay basin but also that new similar species occur in sympatry revealing a species complex . in the present paper , we describe a new species of the m . oligolepis species complex and provide an analysis of its phylogenetic position based on molecular data .
diagnosis . moenkhausia forestii is readly distinguished from all congeners , except m . oligolepis , m . sanctaefilomenae , m . pyrophthalma , and m . diktyota , by the presence of a reticulated body pigmentation pattern , and a conspicuous dark blotch on the caudal peduncle extending to the base of caudal - fin rays preceded by a lighter area ( vs . absence of a reticulated body pigmentation pattern , and a conspicuous dark blotch on the caudal peduncle extending to the base of caudal - fin rays preceded by a lighter area ) . moenkhausia forestii is readily distinguished from m . oligolepis in the degree of poring of the lateral line ( incomplete , vs . complete , respectively ) , and the total number of lateral line scales ( 23 - 26 , vs . 28 - 31 scales , respectively ) . moenkhausia forestii can be distinguished from m . sanctaefilomenae in the number of transverse series of scales above the lateral line ( 5 , vs . 4 scales , respectively ) , by the number of transverse series of scales below the lateral line ( 4 , vs . 3 scales , respectively ) . moenkhausia forestii is distinguished from m . pyrophthalma by its higher body depth ( 38 . 3 - 45 . 2 % in sl vs . 31 . 2 - 33 . 0 % in sl , respectively ) , by its shorter lateral line ( 23 - 26 vs . 27 - 31 scales , respectively ) , and by the form of the humeral spot ( an inconspicuous dark inverse triangular humeral blotch located on second and third lateral line scales vs . a conspicuous black inverse drop - shaped humeral blotch located on second to fourth lateral line scales , respectively ) . moenkhausia forestii is distinguished from m . diktyota by the color pattern of the caudal peduncle ( caudal peduncle with very widely scattered dark pigment resulting in conspicuous lighter area preceding a conspicuous caudal - fin blotch which extends between the dorsal to ventral margins of the proximal one - third of caudal - fin base vs . caudal peduncle with elongate black stripe extending from the vertical through the last anal - fin ray to the tips of middle caudal fin rays , respectively ) .
this species occurs in the ucayali river basin in peru ( ortega et al . 2012 ) . a specimen named moenkhausia cf . simulata has been listed for the amazon basin in colombia ( bogotá - gregory and maldonado - ocampo 2006 ) . its type locality is a creek in puerto bermudez , in the pachitea river system , ucayali river basin , peru ( pearson 1924 ) . elevation range is between 200 and 300 m .
comparative material . moenkhausia australe : cas 70818 , syntype , 38 . 9 mm sl , arroyo trementina , rio paraguay , paraguay ; cas 70819 , syntype , 29 . 7 mm sl , arroyo chagalalina , rio paraguay , paraguay ; mcp 25198 , 5 , 44 . 0 - 54 . 8 mm sl , rio uruguay , rio grande do sul state ; mcp 27464 , 5 , 34 . 1 - 49 . 0 mm sl , rio uruguay , rio grande do sul state , brazil . moenkhausia diktyota : mzusp 64107 , 2 , 06 paratypes , 35 . 4 - 44 . 8 mm sl , rio tiquié , amazonas state , brazil . moenkhausia oligolepis : lbp 5365 , 1 , 37 . 3 mm sl , rio jari , laranjal do jari , amapá state , brazil ; lbp 4098 , 9 , 34 . 8 - 47 . 7 mm sl , rio japiim , rio amazonas basin , mâncio lima , acre state , brazil ; lbp 1498 , 10 , 46 . 1 - 65 . 1 mm sl , córrego fundo , rio araguaia basin , barra do garças , mato grosso state , brazil ; lbp 5073 , 29 , 39 . 0 - 52 . 5 mm sl , rio paraguay basin , cáceres , mato grosso state , brazil . moenkhausia pyrophthalma : mzusp 45290 , 7 , paratypes , 19 . 8 - 29 . 8 mm sl , rio das mortes , between água boa and cocalinho , mato grosso state , brazil ; lbp 4922 , 5 , 27 . 6 - 34 . 0 mm sl , rio das mortes , barra do garças , mato grosso state , brazil . moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae : lbp 4695 , 8 , 25 . 1 - 61 . 3 mm sl , rio paraná basin , marapoama , são paulo state , brazil ; lbp 5541 , 44 , 31 . 6 - 47 . 1 mm sl , mcp 42016 , 5 , 32 . 6 - 45 . 6 mm sl , rio parnaíba , santa filomena , piauí state , brazil ; mzusp 94090 , 5 , 25 . 9 - 43 . 2 mm , sl , rio parnaíba , santa filomena , piauí state , brazil .
the mp analyses showed that there are six monophyletic groups supported by values of equal or higher than 99 % ( fig . 4 ) . three monophyletic groups corresponding to the species moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae , m . oligolepis and m . forestii and three monophyletic groups correspond to the different samples of m . oligolepis . the relationship between m . oligolepis from the amazon and paraguay river basins was weakly supported but they are apparently different from the sample from the rio araguaia basin .
moenkhausia lineomaculata , new species , is described herein from the upper rio juruena , upper rio tapajós basin . the new species seems to be part of a monophyletic group formed by m . cosmops , m . cotinho , m . diktyota , m . forestii , m . oligolepis , m . sanctaefilomenae , and m . pyrophthalma , the moenkhausia oligolepis / m . sanctaefilomenae complex , by sharing a reticulated color pattern on body and the presence of a light area preceding a wide , dark caudal - peduncle blotch . the new species is distinguished from these species , except m . cotinho , by the presence of longitudinal series of dark dots on body , and from m . cotinho by the humeral blotch evenly pigmented along its length and by having the dark line along horizontal septum starting approximately at the vertical through dorsal - fin origin . the new species presents intraspecific variation in lateral - line scales perforation , a feature often present in species of the aforementioned group .
eigenmann ( 1917 : 84 ) included specimens with incomplete , interrupted , and complete lateral line in a single species , moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae . in fact , this author raised the potential of the existence of more than one species in those samples , noting that the forms with incomplete lateral line would correspond to his m . australe , and those with both interrupted and complete lateral line would correspond to m . sanctaefilomenae . the basis for eigenmann ' s actions was unclear , but he presumably included samples with different degrees of development of the lateral line in a single species in the absence of broad samples at his disposal and consequently placed m . australe in the synonymy of m . sanctaefilomenae . moenkhausia australe was , however , described by eigenmann ( 1908 ) from two specimens collected at two different localities in paraguay , arroyo trementina and arroyo chagalalina . those specimens were examined as part of this study and , contrary to eigenmann ( 1917 ) , these specimens do not have an incompletely pored lateral line and present a higher upper jaw length in comparison with moenkhausia forestii ( 48 . 9 - 52 . 6 % vs . 39 . 9 - 43 . 7 % in hl , respectively ) , thus , m . australe is not equivalent to the new species described herein . additional material from rio uruguay ( mcp 25198 and mcp 27464 ) with a complete lateral line has a comparable upper jaw length ( 47 . 2 - 52 . 4 % in hl ) with the syntypes of m . australe .
the sequences obtained in this study have been deposited in genbank ( table 2 ) . genetic distances ( kimura , 1980 ) range from zero among specimens of moenkhausia forestii from paraná basin to 0 . 200 ± 0 . 021 between m . oligolepis from the rio araguaia basin and m . sanctaefilomenae from the upper rio paraná system ( table 2 ) . the combined sequence data of the 35 specimens resulted in a matrix with 611 base pairs ( bp ) , from which 419 were conserved sites and 181 were phylogenetically informative . the mp consensus tree obtained from the analysis of 1000 bootstrap replicates is presented in fig . 4 .
moenkhausia ( teleostei , characidae ) is a small freshwater characid fish genus that is widely distributed in south american river basins and comprises approximately 86 species [ 20 ] . m . sanctaefilomenae shows a conserved karyotype with respect to the standard genome ( 2n = 50 biarmed chromosomes ) but also carries micro - b chromosomes in all populations hitherto analyzed [ 21 – 25 ] . specifically , several populations collected in the tietê river basin show euchromatic , or partially or totally heterochromatic b chromosomes [ 21 , 23 – 25 ] , whereas one population collected in the paraná river shows only the euchromatic variant , which is restricted to males [ 22 ] .
searches through the collections at mzusp revealed that moenkhausia forestii has been only recently collected in the upper portions of the rio paraná system , most probably as a consequence of movement of the species through the
piracema channel
( a fish ladder constructed around itaipu hydroelectric ) . this fish ladder linked the middle and upper portions of rio paraná , that were originally separated by the natural barrier formed by the sete quedas falls . several other examples of similar establishment of species in the upper paraná as a consequence of movement via this fish ladder are cited by graça & pavanelli ( 2007 ) . due to this secondary establishment , the specimens from rio paraná drainage were included as non - type material . non - types also includes dissected , alcohol - fixed , and poorly preserved specimens .
a new species of moenkhausia is described from tributaries of the rio paraguay , brazil . the new species is diagnosed from congeners by characters related to body coloration , the number of lateral line scales , the degree of poring of the lateral line , and number of scales rows above and below the lateral line . molecular analyses using partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase i from specimens of the new species and specimens belonging to morphologically similar species demonstrated that the new species is easily differentiated by their high genetic distance and by their position in the phylogenetic hypothesis obtained through the maximum parsimony methodology . the analyses of three samples of m . oligolepis also revealed that they have high genetic distances and belong to different monophyletic groups suggesting that this species corresponds to a species complex rather than a single species .
uma nova espécie de moenkhausia é descrita de tributários do rio paraguai , brasil . essa nova espécie é diagnosticada de seus congêneres por caracteres relacionados ao padrão de colorido do corpo , número de escamas da linha lateral , grau de desenvolvimento dos poros sensoriais na linha lateral e número de séries de escamas acima e abaixo da linha lateral . um análise molecular usando sequências parciais do gene mitocondrial citocromo oxidase i de espécimes representativos da nova espécie e espécimes pertencentes a espécies morfologicamente similares demonstrou que a nova espécie é facilmente diferenciada por sua elevada distância genética e por sua posição na hipótese filogenética obtida pelo método de máxima parcimônia . a análise de três amostras de m . oligolepis também revelou que estas apresentam distâncias genéticas elevadas e pertencem a grupos monofiléticos distintos , sugerindo que esta espécie corresponda a um complexo de espécies e não uma única espécie .
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lake valencia is situated between two mountain ranges and is venezuela’s second largest lake . water quality is generally very poor , mainly due to pollution from human agricultural and industrial activity . as such it’s prone to regular eutrophication events and associated algal blooms . scientific studies have shown that fish species diversity dropped by almost 60 % during the mid to late twentieth century . the diamond tetra is found in shallow , vegetated parts of the lake , as well as in several slow - moving tributaries . most of the fish sold in the trade are mass - bred on commercial farms in eastern europe or the far east , though .
a small group would need a tank around 24″ x 15″ x 12″ ( 60cm x 37 . 5cm x 30cm ) – 70 litres in size .
quite an adaptable species that will thrive in most well - maintained tanks , although it doesn’t like very brightly lit or sparsely decorated environments . it looks excellent in a densely planted tank , where it will develop some really intense colours .
it can also be kept in an amazonian biotope setup if you wish . use a substrate of river sand and add a few driftwood branches ( if you can’t find driftwood of the desired shape , common beech is safe to use if thoroughly dried and stripped of bark ) and twisted roots . a few handfuls of dried leaves ( again beech can be used , or oak leaves are also suitable ) would complete the natural feel . allow the wood and leaves to stain the water the colour of weak tea , removing old leaves and replacing them every few weeks so they don’t rot and foul the water . the lighting should be fairly dim in this kind of setup .
ph : 5 . 5 to 7 . 0 . most tank - bred specimens will survive in alkaline water , but will show their best colours when maintained at a ph below neutral .
easy to feed . it will readily accept just about anything offered . for the best condition and colours offer regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm , daphnia and brine shrimp , along with dried flakes and granules .
a good choice for the ‘general’ community setup . it’s quite colourful , peaceful and males grow to an impressive size for a tetra . it’s a good tankmate for most livebearers , danionins , rasboras , other tetras and peaceful bottom dwellers such as corydoras or smaller loricariids . it can also be kept with the majority of commonly available gouramis and dwarf cichlids . due to its rounded shape and adult size it can also be used as a dither for non - aggressive , medium - sized cichlids such as discus or geophagus species .
although it has a reputation as a bit of a fin nipper , this behaviour can usually be rectified by keeping it in a small shoal of at least 6 - 8 specimens . when maintained in these kind of numbers any squabbling is generally contained within the group . as with almost all tetras , it fares better in the presence of conspecifics anyway , and tends to be a little skittish if kept in insufficient numbers . you’ll also see some stunning displays between rival males if several are kept .
males tend to be larger and less stockily built than females , with a greater proportion of the reflective scales that give the species its common name . they also develop beautiful , extended ventral , dorsal and anal fins as they mature . these are suffused with a violet sheen , while those of the female are almost entirely clear .
can be spawned in a similar way to many other tetras . you’ll need to set up a separate tank in which to do so if you want to raise fry in any great numbers . something around 18″ x 12″ x 12″ in size is fine . use very dim lighting and add clumps of fine - leaved plants such as java moss or spawning mops , to give the fish somewhere to deposit their eggs . alternatively you could cover the base of the tank with some kind of mesh . this should be of a large enough grade so that the eggs can fall through it , but small enough so that the adults cannot reach them . the water should be soft and acidic in the range ph 5 . 5 - 6 . 5 , gh 1 - 5 , with a temperature of around 80 - 84°f . filtering the water through peat is useful , as is the use of ro water . a small air - powered sponge filter bubbling away very gently is all that is needed in terms of filtration .
it can be spawned in a group , with half a dozen specimens of each sex being a good number . condition these with plenty of small live foods and spawning should not present too many problems .
alternatively it can be spawned in pairs . under this technique the fish are conditioned in male and female groups in separate tanks . when the females are noticeably full of eggs and the males are displaying their best colours , select the fattest female and best - coloured male and transfer them to the spawning tank in the evening . they should spawn the following morning .
in either situation the adults will eat the eggs given the chance and should be removed as soon as eggs are noticed . these will hatch in 24 - 36 hours , with the fry becoming free swimming a 3 - 4 days later . they should be fed on an infusoria – type food for the first few days , until they are large enough to accept microworm or brine shrimp nauplii .
this species is something of an “ugly duckling” , as it’s usually sold as a fairly bland looking , silvery juvenile . given time and a good diet it develops into a magnificent fish as an adult , that really does sparkle like a diamond . a big shoal of these in a planted tank looks stunning .
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brazil , paraguay and argentina . you’re unlikely to see any wild fish for sale though . due to its popularity , it’s commercially bred in huge numbers for the trade . most of the ones on sale in the uk originate from eastern europe .
mostly inhabits clear water rivers that feed the famous pantanal wetlands . unlike in the often murky waters that flow through the amazon rainforest , aquatic vegetation grows densely here . massive rafts of floating plants such as eichhornia and salvinia occur frequently . submerged species include various echinodorus , better known as ‘amazon’ sword plants ( an odd common name as they don’t occur in the amazon itself ) . these grow in huge beds in some of the areas where m . sanctaefilomenae can be found .
it’s a particularly active species and given its adult size deserves a tank of at least 36″ x 15″ x 12″ ( 90cm x 37 . 7cm x 30cm ) – 106 litres .
quite an adaptable species that will thrive in most well maintained tanks , although it doesn’t like very brightly lit or sparsely decorated environments . it looks excellent in a densely planted tank .
it can also be kept in an amazonian biotope setup if you wish . use a substrate of river sand and add a few driftwood branches ( if you can’t find driftwood of the desired shape , common beech is safe to use if thoroughly dried and stripped of bark ) and twisted roots . a few handfuls of dried leaves ( again beech can be used , or oak leaves are also suitable ) would complete the natural feel . aquatic plants are not a feature of this species ‘ natural waters . allow the wood and leaves to stain the water the colour of weak tea , removing old leaves and replacing them every few weeks so they don’t rot and foul the water . a small net bag filled with aquarium - safe peat can be added to the filter to aid in the simulation of black water conditions . the lighting should be fairly dim .
ph : due to the great range of water conditions between the wet and dry seasons in its natural waters , it ' s quite unfussy and will do well anywhere in the ph range 6 . 0 - 8 . 0
easy to feed . it will readily accept just about anything offered . for the best condition and colours offer regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm , daphnia and brine shrimp , along with dried flakes and granules . some vegetable matter should also be included in the diet . try spinach leaves or a good quality algae based flake .
a decent , albeit robust choice for the ‘general’ community tank , where it will add plenty of movement . sedate species such as anabantoids or dwarf cichlids can be intimidated by its somewhat boisterous nature , so it’s best kept with active tankmates . other similarly sized tetras , rainbowfish , larger rasboras , barbs and most danionins make excellent choices . bottom dwellers such as corydoras catfish , doradids , small loricariids and botiine loaches are also good companions . it can also be used as a dither for non - aggressive , medium - sized cichlids .
although it has a reputation as a bit of a fin nipper , this behaviour can usually be rectified by keeping it in a small shoal of at least 6 - 8 specimens . when maintained in these kind of numbers any squabbling is generally contained within the group . as with virtually all tetras , it fares better in the presence of conspecifics anyway , and tends to be a little skittish if kept in insufficient numbers .
can be spawned in a similar way to other species in the genus . you’ll need to set up a separate tank in which to do so , if you want to raise fry in any great numbers . something around 18″ x 12″ x 12″ in size is fine . this should be very dimly lit and contain clumps of fine - leaved plants such as java moss or spawning mops , to give the fish somewhere to deposit their eggs . alternatively you could cover the base of the tank with some kind of mesh . this should be of a large enough grade so that the eggs can fall through it , but small enough so that the adults cannot reach them . the water should be soft and acidic in the range ph 6 . 0 - 7 . 0 , gh 1 - 10 , with a temperature of around 80 - 84°f . a small air - powered sponge filter bubbling away very gently is all that is needed in terms of filtration .
this species can be found swimming in most dealers’ tanks and is one of the best choices for the newcomer to fishkeeping . all the fish sold in the trade have been captive bred and as such are unfussy regarding water chemistry and diet .
freshwater ; benthopelagic ; dh range : 12 - ? . tropical ; 22°c - 26°c ( ref . 2059 )
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 10 . 0 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 38376 )
lima , f . c . t . , l . r . malabarba , p . a . buckup , j . f . pezzi da silva , r . p . vari , a . harold , r . benine , o . t . oyakawa , c . s . pavanelli , n . a . menezes , c . a . s . lucena , m . c . s . l . malabarba , z . m . s . lucena , r . e . reis , f . langeani , c . moreira et al . … , 2003 . genera incertae sedis in characidae . p . 106 - 168 . in r . e . reis , s . o . kullander and c . j . ferraris , jr . ( eds . ) checklist of the freshwater fishes of south and central america . porto alegre : edipucrs , brasil . ( ref . 38376 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01622 ( 0 . 00828 - 0 . 03177 ) , b = 2 . 96 ( 2 . 80 - 3 . 12 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & genus - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 5 ±0 . 5 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 16 of 100 ) .
freshwater ; benthopelagic ; ph range : 6 . 0 - 6 . 8 ; dh range : 2 - 4 . tropical ; 21°c - 25°c ( ref . 12468 )
it is typical of rapidly flowing waters , in cascades and creeks with sandy - rocky bottoms , where it is very abundant . can also be found in calm waters . it can escape its predators by effecting dramatic leaps out of the water . it is a gregarious species which swims constantly near the surface of the water , on the look out for its food in the company of bryconops melanurus ( ref . 12225 ) .
planquette , p . , p . keith and p . - y . le bail , 1996 . atlas des poissons d ' eau douce de guyane . tome 1 . collection du patrimoine naturel volume 22 , mnhn , paris & inra , paris . 429 p . ( ref . 12225 )
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01445 ( 0 . 00642 - 0 . 03257 ) , b = 3 . 04 ( 2 . 85 - 3 . 23 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 10 of 100 ) .
freshwater ; benthopelagic ; ph range : 6 . 0 - 8 . 0 ; dh range : 5 - 19 . tropical ; 22°c - 26°c ( ref . 1672 )
south america : paranaíba , são francisco , upper parana , paraguay amd uruguay river basins .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 7 . 0 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 38376 )
feeds on worms , insects , crustaceans and plant matter ( ref . 7020 ) . aquarium keeping : in groups of 5 or more individuals ; minimum aquarium size 80 cm ( ref . 51539 ) .
a gregarious species which prefers the counter current zones of small creeks . omnivorous . it is very prolific and reproduction in the aquarium is very easy to carry out ( ref . 12225 ) . oviparous ( ref . 205 ) .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01479 ( 0 . 00826 - 0 . 02648 ) , b = 3 . 10 ( 2 . 94 - 3 . 26 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & ( sub ) family - body ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 5 ±0 . 50 se ; based on food items .
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neotrop . ichthyol . vol . 7 no . 2 porto alegre apr . \ june 2009
laboratório de biologia e genética de peixes , departamento de morfologia , ibb - unesp , campus de botucatu , botucatu , sp 18618 - 000 , brazil . rbenine @ urltoken ( rcb ) ; tatimariguela @ urltoken ( tcm ) ; claudio @ urltoken ( co )
material examined in this study is deposited in the california academy of sciences ( cas ) , san francisco ; laboratório de biologia e genética de peixes do departamento de morfologia da universidade estadual paulista ( lbp ) , botucatu , sp ; museu de ciências e tecnologia , pontifícia universidade católica do rio grande do sul ( mcp ) , porto alegre , rs ; and museu de zoologia da universidade de são paulo ( mzusp ) , são paulo , sp . vouchers of the material used in the molecular analysis are deposited at lbp .
morphometric and meristic data were taken following fink & weitzman ( 1974 ) , except for head depth ( hd ) , which was measured in the vertical through the middle of the orbit . counts are followed by their frequency in parentheses . asterisks indicate values for the holotype . vertebrae of the weberian apparatus were counted as four elements and the fused pu1 + u1 as a single element . vertebra and supraneural counts were taken from two cleared and stained ( c & s ) specimens prepared following the method of taylor & van dyke ( 1985 ) .
total dna was extracted from ethanol - preserved muscle tissues with the wizard genomic dna purification kit ( promega ) . partial sequences of coi gene were amplified with the primers fish f1 and fish r1 ( ward et al . , 2005 ) . primer final concentrations were 5 mm . amplifications were performed by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) in a total volume of 25 ml for 35 cycles ( 30 s at 95 ºc , 60 s at 50 - 60 ºc , and 120 s at 72 ºc ) . the pcr products were identified in a 1 % agarose gel . the amplified segments were extracted from the gel with the kit gfx tm pcr dna and gel purification ( amersham pharmacy biotech inc ) . the sequencing reactions were done with the kit dyenamic et terminator cycle sequencing ( amersham pharmacy biotech inc . ) and analyzed in an automated sequencer abi prism tm 377 dna sequencer ( perking - elmer ) . all sequences were read at least twice ( forward and reverse ) . individual sequences of each species were initially analyzed using bioedit 5 . 0 . 9 ( hall , 1999 ) and a consensus sequence was obtained for each dna segment for each species . all sequences were then aligned with dambe ( xia & xie , 2001 ) . genetic distances ( kimura , 1980 ) were examined using mega 4 . 0 ( kumar et al . , 2004 ) .
phylogenetic analyses based on the maximum - parsimony method ( swofford & berlocher , 1987 ) were performed using paup * beta version 4 . 0b10 ( swofford , 2002 ) with heuristic searches using random addition of sequences and the tree bisection and reconnection ( tbr ) algorithm . in all analyses the character - state optimization method employed was the accelerated transformation ( acctran ) . parsimony trees were generated using ti / tv ratio of 1 : 1 and considering terminal gaps as missing data . bootstrap resampling ( felsenstein , 1985 ) was applied to assess support for individual nodes using 1000 replicates with random additions and tbr branch swapping .
holotype . mzusp 97827 , 34 . 0 mm sl , undetermined sex , brazil , mato grosso state , cáceres , rio sepotuba , rio paraguay basin , 15º46 ' 07
s 57º38 ' 54
w , 3 - 4 mar 2002 , h . a . britski , o . fröehlich , a . catella & f . marques .
paratypes . mzusp 90270 , 14 , 24 . 0 - 36 . 4 mm sl , ( 2 c & s , 25 . 6 - 33 . 1 mm sl ) , same data as the holotype . mzusp 19111 , 10 , 30 . 7 - 35 . 0 mm sl , brazil , mato grosso state , descalvados , rio paraguay , 16º46 ' s 57º44 ' w , 9 aug 1980 , r . m . c . castro & h . ortega . lbp 3793 , 10 , 28 . 3 - 33 . 4 mm sl , brazil , mato grosso do sul state , aquidauana , rio negro , rio paraguay basin , 19º34 ' 02 . 3
s 56º14 ' 09 . 1
w , 2 aug 2006 , c . oliveira & l . h . g . pereira .
non - types . lbp 5074 , 10 , 25 . 7 - 32 . 1 mm sl , brazil , mato grosso state , cáceres , baía do caiçara , 16º03 ' 11 . 3
s 57º48 ' 32 . 0
w . lbp 3739 , 10 , 22 . 4 - 32 . 5 mm sl , brazil , mato grosso do sul state , aquidauana , rio negro , rio paraguay basin , 19º34 ' 54 . 6
s 56º15 ' 16 . 5
w . lbp 4655 , 65 , 21 . 9 - 32 . 9 mm sl , brazil , mato grosso do sul state , batayporã , rio baía , rio paraná basin , 22º43 ' 46 . 2
s 53º19 ' 04 . 2
w . lbp 2630 , 18 , 23 . 0 - 37 . 9 mm sl , brazil , paraná state , porto rico , rio paraná , 22º43 ' 03 . 2
s 53º17 ' 27 . 6
w . lbp 5225 , 10 , 25 . 0 - 32 . 8 mm sl , brazil , paraná state , porto rico , rio paraná , 22º47 ' 29
s 53º20 ' 58
w .
description . morphometric data summarized in table 1 . overall size small ( maximum of 36 . 4 mm sl ) . greatest body depth at origin of dorsal fin . dorsal profile of head straight or slightly convex . dorsal profile of body sligthly convex from posterior tip of supraocciptal to end of dorsal - fin base ; slightly convex from rear of dorsal - fin base to end of adipose - fin base . caudal peduncle profile slightly concave both dorsally and ventrally . ventral profile of body convex from tip of lower jaw to caudal peduncle origin . prepelvic region transversely flattened , flattening more pronounced proximate to pelvic - fin insertion . postpelvic median keel extending from pelvic - fin insertion to anal - fin origin .
mouth terminal , with lower jaw as long as , to somewhat longer than , upper jaw . premaxillary teeth in two rows ; outer row teeth 3 - 5 * ( mode = 5 , n = 35 ) , with 3 - 5 cusps , central cusp longer than other cusps ; inner row teeth 5 , with 4 - 5 cusps and rarely with lateral - most tooth with 3 cusps . maxillary teeth 1 - 2 * ( mode = 2 , n = 35 ) , each with 5 cusps . dentary with 4 larger teeth anteriorly , each with 4 - 5 cusps with central cusp longest ( n = 35 ) . larger anterior teeth followed by 5 - 7 small teeth with 1 - 3 cusps in two c & s paratypes ( fig . 2 ) .
dorsal - fin rays ii , 9 . dorsal - fin origin at middle body length , slightly posterior to vertical through pelvic - fin origin . posterior margin of dorsal fin slightly concave . anal - fin rays iv , 17 - 23 , iv , 22 * ( mode = iv , 22 , n = 35 ) . distal margin of anal fin straight to somewhat concave with 4 th unbranched and anterior 1 st - 3 rd branched fin ray longer . remaining anal - fin rays decreasing gradually in length rearward . pectoral - fin rays i , 11 - 12 * ( mode = i , 12 , n = 35 ) . pectoral fin pointed , 1 st - 2 nd branched rays longer , lateral and medial margins straight , posterior margin oblique and straight . tip of adpressed pectoral fin extends posterior of mid - length of adpressed pelvic fin . pelvic - fin rays i , 7 * . pelvic fin pointed , lateral and medial margins straight , posterior margin oblique and straight . tip of pelvic fin reaches anal - fin origin . adipose fin origin at vertical through insertion point of antepenultimate branched anal fin . principal caudal - fin rays i , 9 , 8 , i . caudal - fin lobes equal .
scales cycloids . lateral line with 7 - 11 ( 10 * ; mode = 9 , n = 34 ) pored scales and 23 - 26 ( 25 * ; mode = 25 , n = 34 ) total scales . lateral line slightly ventrally curved anteriorly ; with 5 ( n = 35 ) series of scales above and 4 ( n = 35 ) series of scales below . scales around caudal peduncle 7 - 9 * ( mode = 9 , n = 35 ) . single row of scales overlaying basal portion of anterior rays of anal fin . sheet of scales covering proximal one - third of upper caudal - fin lobe and proximal one - half of lower caudal - fin lobe .
first gill arch with 6 - 7 * ( mode = 7 , n = 35 ) gill - rakers on upper limb and 10 - 11 * ( mode = 11 , n = 28 ) gill - rakers on lower limb . precaudal vertebrae 13 , caudal vertebrae 17 ( n = 2 ) . supraneurals 4 ( n = 2 ) .
color in alcohol . overall ground coloration dark silver or yellowish tan ( depending on degree of retention of guanine ) . dark chromatophores concentrated on distal margin of scales resulting in conspicuous reticulated pattern . mid - dorsal region darker than flanks . humeral region with dark inverse triangle - shaped blotch located on second to third lateral line scales , extending 3 - 4 scales vertically , including lateral line . few dark chromatophores scattered on infraorbitals and opercle . dark thin stripe extending along horizontal septum on posterior half of body . caudal fin with conspicuous dark blotch extending from its anterior portion onto proximal one - third of caudal - fin rays . caudal peduncle with very widely scattered dark pigment resulting in conspicuous lighter area preceding caudal - fin blotch . dorsal fin with scattered dark pigmentation , more concentrated on anterior half . anal fin with scattered dark pigmentation . paired fins hyaline with scattered dark pigmentation , more so on unbranched rays .
sexual dimorphism . one paratype ( 30 . 9 mm sl , mzusp 90270 ) has small hooks on the segments of each anal - fin ray ( up to four hooks per segment in each side of the anal fin ) . additional non - type material from the upper rio paraná system ( lbp 5225 ) collected during the reproductive season included males with the same pattern of hooks . no further dimorphic characters were observed .
etymology . the specific epithet , forestii , is in honour of fausto foresti for his contributions to our knowledge of fish genetics .
the observed values of genetic distances ( kimura , 1980 ) among species were 0 . 182 ± 0 . 019 between m . sanctaefilomenae and m . forestii , 0 . 183 ± 0 . 017 between m . oligolepis and m . forestii , and 0 . 191 ± 0 . 017 between m . sanctaefilomenae and m . oligolepis . these values are higher than those obtained in the similar analyses of within - genus coi sequences ( 0 . 0993 ) of marine fishes from australia ( ward et al . , 2005 ) and of freshwater fishes from canada ( hubert et al . , 2008 ) and from mexico and guatemala ( valdez - moreno et al . , 2009 ) . the observed values of genetic distances within - species were 0 . 003 ± 0 . 001 for m . sanctaefilomenae , 0 . 004 ± 0 . 001 for m . forestii , and 0 . 092 ± 0 . 009 for m . oligolepis . this high value observed for m . oligolepis leads us to hypothesize that m . oligolepis still represents a species complex rather than a single species which will be explored in a further study .


cyrtopleura costata or the angel wing clam is a bivalve mollusc in the family pholadidae .

it is found in shallow parts of the northwest atlantic , living in the seabed , where it burrows through sand and mud to a depth of up to 3 feet ( 0.91 m ) .

cyrtopleura costata

click the button below to add the angel wings ( cyrtopleura costata ) to your wish list .
large specimen of an adult angelwing clam , cyrtopleura costata . photo courtesy of l . creswell , hboi .
angel wing cyrtopleura costata linnaeus , 1758 the bottom photo shows the spoon - shaped apophysis extending from under the beak .
andrew swan angel wing - cyrtopleura costata . 165 mm . | fresh and salty | pinterest | angel wings and shell
angel wing , fallen angel wing , bivalve and scientific classification cyrtopleura costata ( linnaeus ) . photos , general information on habitat and range . .
angel wing taking inspiration from the natural shape of the angel wing sea shell ( cyrtopleura costata ) . this elegant all - weather planter in natur… | pinteres…
food value of eurytopic microalgae to bivalve larvae of cyrtopleura costata ( linnaeus , 1758 ) , crassostrea virginica ( gmelin , 1791 ) and mercenaria mercenaria ( linnaeus , 1758 ) .
c . costata can be locally abundant , but is relatively patchy in its distribution throughout most of its range .
tan tiu , a . , vaughan a . , chiles , t . and k . bird . 1989d . food value of eurytopic microalgae to bivalve larvae of cyrtopleura costata ( linnaeus , 1758 ) , crassostrea virginica ( gmelin , 1791 ) and mercenaria mercenaria ( linnaeus , 1758 ) . journal of shellfish research . 8 ( 2 ) : 399 - 405 .
c . costata and other pholadid clams are harvested commercially throughout the world . c . costata supports a commercially important fishery in mexico , cuba , puerto rico and chile ( hboi report to florida sea grant 1992 ) . although it is not widely cultured in the united states , preliminary aquaculture trials ( creswell and shilling 1985 ; gustafson et al . 1991 ; hboi report to florida sea grant 1992 ) found c . costata an attractive species for aquaculture due to its fast growth rate and generally unspecialized physical requirements .
c . costata in virginia have been observed to spawn from may to september . in florida and throughout the warmer regions of its range , the gonads of c . costata tend to remain ripe year - round , except during june through august , the months of prime spawning . recruitment in florida peaks from september to december ( creswell and shilling 1985 ) .
c . costata competes with other sessile filter feeders such as the hard clam , mercenaria mercenaria . it is also likely to compete with suspension feeders such as bryozoans and some species of polychaete worms .
( of barnea costata ( linnaeus , 1758 ) ) abbott , r . t . , 1954 . american seashells . new york : van nostrand . xiv , 541 , 40 pls . [ details ]
although c . costata is common along florida ' s west coast , it is patchily distributed along much of florida ' s east coast , including the indian river lagoon and banana river , florida ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) .
cyrtopleura costata has long , fused siphons which protrude from its burrow . the siphons circulate water and suspended ocean matter down to the creature ' s gills . the clam cannot retract the siphons into its shell , and the two valves of the shell cannot completely close . the muscles holding the valves together are weak , so it is rare to find a dead angel wing clam with both halves still connected . some shell hunters dig for the living clam , which dwells in stiff material to help hold itself together . when fresh , the mollusk is covered with a thin grayish periostracum .
upon settlement into soft sand or muddy substrata , juveniles burrow as much as 3 feet below the surface . c . costata remain buried throughout their lives , and are unable to re - burrow themselves after they attain 10 - 15 mm sl .
in the laboratory , c . costata has been induced to spawn by either inducing thermal shock ( i . e . , temperature of culture water is increased rapidly to approximately 29 °c ) , or by the addition of sperm to the culture water .
the angelwing clam , cyrtopleura costata , is a large sand - burrowing clam in the family pholadidae . its valves are generally equal in size and white in color , with shades of pink sometimes observed . body shape is oval and elongated , with narrowing of the posterior end . valves have umbones 1 / 4 the shell length from the anterior end which are covered by a chitinous plate . valves are patterned with radial riblets , which are sharp and angular in the anterior , and broader in the posterior . inside the valves , behind the umbones , is a thick , winged plate that lies transverse to the plane of the valves .
c . costata , like other bivalves , is a filter feeder , and uses its incurrent siphon to transport microalgae and tiny zooplankton into its body . food is
strained
from the water on the gills and is moved toward the mouth by cilia . filtered water , waste products , and gametes are passed out the excurrent siphon .
in growth trials , optimum shell length increase for c . costata larvae occurred at a salinity of 20 ppt . in the first 8 days of larval life , and at 25 ppt . in the next 8 days . more than 70 % of larvae survived in salinities of between 15 - 35 ppt ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) .
c . costata is indigenous to the indian river lagoon and has been targeted as a recreational fishery throughout its range , from massachusetts to brazil . however , its fragile shell , deep burrowing habitat and its limited shelf life have thus far prevented effective commercial harvesting of this species . its commercial importance in the indian river lagoon could increase should it ever become widely accepted as a marketable aquaculture product .
temperature is the primary factor determining survival and growth rates in c . costata larvae ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) . in larval growth trials , optimum shell length increase occurred at 30 °c over the entire 16 - day larval period . however , maximal larval survival through metamorphosis occurred at a temperature of 25°c ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) . larvae do not survive at water temperatures greater than 35°c ( creswell and shilling 1985 ; gustafson et al . 1991 ) .
c . costata occurs in shallow waters along the eastern u . s . coast from massachusetts to florida and into the gulf of mexico to texas . it also occurs in cuba , the west indies , central america , and south america to brazil ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) . it is most common in the low intertidal zone , at or just below the low tide line , where it can burrow to a depth of approximately 3 feet in soft sand or muddy substrata .
c . costata grows to 10 - 20 cm ( 4 - 8 inches ) and is noted for its rapid growth rate ( amos and amos 1997 ) . in aquaculture trials , post - settlement juveniles reached 2 mm shell length ( sl ) within 32 days , and 11 . 6 mm sl within 60 days . the growth rate of post - settlement juveniles in a land - based aquaculture system averaged approximately 0 . 05 mm per day , while the growth rate of field planted juveniles was between 0 . 5 - 0 . 7 mm per day ( hboi report to florida sea grant 1992 ) . gustafson et al . ( 1991 ) reported juvenile shell length increased under optimal temperature , food , and salinity conditions at a mean rate of 0 . 19 mm per day . field planted juveniles reached a market size of 5 - 7 cm ( 2 - 3 inches ) within 6 months , approximately 1 / 3 the time required to achieve market size in the widely cultured hard clam , mercenaria mercenaria .
( of pholas costatus linnaeus , 1758 ) linnaeus , c . ( 1758 ) . systema naturae per regna tria naturae , secundum classes , ordines , genera , species , cum characteribus , differentiis , synonymis , locis . editio decima , reformata . laurentius salvius : holmiae . ii , 824 pp . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 669 [ details ]
distribution rare north of virginia . virginian , southside of cape cod to cape hatteras
distribution rare north of virginia . virginian , southside of cape cod to cape hatteras [ details ]
pollock , l . w . ( 1998 ) . a practical guide to the marine animals of northeastern north america . rutgers university press . new brunswick , new jersey & london . 367 pp . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
turgeon , d . d . , w . g . lyons , p . mikkelsen , g . rosenberg , and f . moretzsohn . 2009 . bivalvia ( mollusca ) of the gulf of mexico , pp . 711–744 in felder , d . l . and d . k . camp ( eds . ) , gulf of mexico–origins , waters , and biota . biodiversity . texas a & m ; press , colleg [ details ]
huber , m . ( 2010 ) . compendium of bivalves . a full - color guide to 3 , 300 of the world’s marine bivalves . a status on bivalvia after 250 years of research . hackenheim : conchbooks . 901 pp . , 1 cd - rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
rosenberg , g . 1992 . encyclopedia of seashells . dorset : new york . 224 pp . page ( s ) : 166 [ details ]
velásquez m . , valentich - scott p . & capelo j . c . ( 2017 ) . marine boring bivalve mollusks from isla margarita , venezuela . the festivus . 49 ( 3 ) : 247 - 269 . [ details ]
( of capulus shreevei conrad , 1869 ) huber , m . ( 2010 ) . compendium of bivalves . a full - color guide to 3 , 300 of the world’s marine bivalves . a status on bivalvia after 250 years of research . hackenheim : conchbooks . 901 pp . , 1 cd - rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
( of leuconyx tayleriana h . adams & a . adams , 1863 ) huber , m . ( 2010 ) . compendium of bivalves . a full - color guide to 3 , 300 of the world’s marine bivalves . a status on bivalvia after 250 years of research . hackenheim : conchbooks . 901 pp . , 1 cd - rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
( of pholas costatus linnaeus , 1758 ) huber , m . ( 2010 ) . compendium of bivalves . a full - color guide to 3 , 300 of the world’s marine bivalves . a status on bivalvia after 250 years of research . hackenheim : conchbooks . 901 pp . , 1 cd - rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
group of aquacultured angelwing clams . photo courtesy of l . creswell , hboi .
in the laboratory , a 1 - hour exposure to a 10 - 3 m solution of epinephrine induced over 95 % of all competent larvae to settle on a sand substratum ( gustafson et al . 1991 ) .
burrows up to 3 ft . deep in soft , sandy mud ( creswell and shilling 1985 ; amos and amos 1997 ) .
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the lovely white angel wing is a type of piddock shell . despite the delicate beauty of this thin , brittle shell , the clam is able to bore into wood , clay , and even shale and gneiss rocks . this boring or abrasion is accomplished by the anterior end of the shell which is rocked back and forth by the suctionlike foot . jets of water from the mantle cavity flush particles from the hole being bored .
the elongated shell may reach a length of an impressive seven inches . angel wings are usually white , though occasionally a pink - tinged one is found . the pinkness is likely the result of the clam ' s having been exposed to red tide algae .
the surface of this bivalve shell has approximately 26 radiating ribs ; the ribs near the front end of the shell ( the boring end ) are taller and have sharper fluted scales than those which cover the rest of the ribs . growth lines ( slight furrows ) run horizontally over the surface of the shell . the two valves of the clam gape , touching only at a point near the top of the shells . the angel wing has a shelly brace ( a spoon - shaped projection ) under the the pointy “nose” ( beak ) of the shell . this brace is called the apophysis , and is the location at which the mollusk ' s foot muscles are attached . near the beak , and to the anterior of the beak , a part of the shell curves back up over the exterior surface .
in the west indies the clam is a staple food item . it may be found from there to brazil , and from cape cod to the gulf of mexico , although it is uncommon north of virginia . it lives in shallow water , sometimes as much as three feet deep in the mud .
r . tucker abbott and percy a . morris , peterson field guides : shells of the atlantic & gulf coasts & the west indies .
nick fotheringham and susan rothschild , beachcomber ' s guide to gulf coast marine life .
percy a . morris , a field guide to shells of the atlantic and gulf coasts , third edition .
scientific nomenclature is subject to change , due to ongoing research . the above classification coincides with that published by conchologists of america , inc .
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turgeon , d . d . , a . e . bogan , e . v . coan , w . k . emerson , w . g . lyons , w . pratt , et al .
turgeon , d . d . , j . f . quinn , jr . , a . e . bogan , e . v . coan , f . g . hochberg , w . g . lyons , et al .
common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the united states and canada : mollusks , 2nd ed .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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bivalve ( 2 shells ) ; shell elongate , elliptical , thin and fragile , inflated ; shell color white ; strong radial ridges of nodules ; anterior edge of shell flips up and over beak ( the protoplax and mesoplax ) ; no 12 partitions above beak ; a spoon - shaped projection ( apophysis ) on the underside of the beak , hollow at upper end ; 2 really small muscle scars underneath shell , the pallial line arcs out and downward from posterior muscle ( pallial sinus ) , makes a turn anteriorly at shell ' s edge ( soft v shape ) , and follows shell edge to anterior muscle .
similar to the campeche angelwing but the sculpture of the shell is weaker in the campeche angelwing and it has 12 partitions above the beak ( absent in the angelwing ) .
copyright 2012 - 2018 . created by brenda bowling , texas parks and wildlife department .
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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white shell , elongate oval - like in shape , thin , and very fragile . there are around 25 radiating ribs each half of the shell and a spoon - shaped brace under the
beak ,
, which is where the mollusc ' s foot muscles are attached .
angel wings have long siphons which protrude from their burrow . this allows them to circulate water for their filter feeding diet . they are unable to retract their siphons into the protection of its shell hence the two valves can never shut completely . the muscles fusing the shell ' s valves together are weak , making it rare to find angelwings with both halves still intact . angel wings live offshore and in estuaries . they sometimes burrow as much as three feet deep into the mud or clay .
atlantic mud - piddock , fallen angelwing barnea truncata ( say ) description : ( 2 1 / 4 inches ) similar to angelwing but with weaker sculpture . one end squared off and other end pointed . loose accessory plates above the hinge on live specimens . color : white exterior and interior . habitat : lives burrowed into mud , clay or softwood . occasionally washed onto sounds and ocean beaches . . range : maine to brazil . notes : also called a fallen angelwing . this fragile shell is rarely dug from mud without breaking . it burrows deeply and has long , united siphons . source : nc sea grant seashells of north carolina field guide
zirfaea crispata ( linne , 1758 ) , the great piddock . photo source : shell book , atlantic , gulf and carribean
false angelwing , petricola pholadiformis ( lamarck ) description : ( 2 3 / 4 inches ) thin , elogate shell resembling a small angelwing but lacks the rolled - out hinge area . beak at one end of the shell . strong radial ribbing on the beak end . teeth on hinge . deep pallial sinus . color : white exterior and interior . habitat : lives in intertidal zone , burrowed into hard clay or peat . commonly found on sounds and ocean beaches . range : canada to uruguay . notes : it burrows into hard surfaces and has long , partially united siphons . source : nc sea grant seashells of north carolina field guide
sharon : i ' m really not sure about these shells . i don ' t see any wedge piddocks in there - - i don ' t see any with the indented radial line that the wedge piddock has . possibly some fallen angelwings , and false angelwings . not sure about rupellarias either - - the atlantic rupellaria grows to about 1 - inch . what are the sizes of the shells in the bottom 9 + photos ? your photography is definitely getting better . nice that you have a good camera and that you ' re learning how to use it ! terri > urltoken > > the atlantic rupellaria or wedge piddock ? > > it strongly resembles an angelwing , but it is not the angelwing . - - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ terri kirby hathaway marine education specialist north carolina sea grant
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systema naturae systema naturae , 10th ed . , vol . 1 824 pp . laurentii salvii : holmiae [ stockholm , sweden ] .
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gustafson , r . g . ( harbor branch oceanographic inst . , fort pierce , fl ( usa ) . div . of coastal , environmental and aquacultural sciences )
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the museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 : 45 pm except on thanksgiving and christmas .
mollusks are generally characterized as having a soft body , commonly protected by a limy exoskeleton . this phylum , which includes more than 85 , 000 species , is among the largest invertebrate groups in the animal kingdom .
their exoskeletons , commonly known as shells , have evolved into countless forms , sizes , shapes , and colors—many of which wash up on shores around the globe . if you head to the beach this labor day weekend look for these and other mollusks .
these carnivorous snails have a large foot which they use to move rapidly through waterlogged sand in search of molluscan prey , guided by their strong sense of smell . females lay eggs in large pliable structures commonly known as “sand collars , ”made of grains of sand and held together by solidified mucus .
the clams that inhabit angel wing shells live in burrows as deep as two feet , in low water bays and inlets . shells in the pholadidae family do not have hinge teeth or ligaments to keep the two valves together in place . their cramped living quarters , together with the abductor muscles , are sufficient for that purpose .
the unique shape and brilliant colors of mature shells in the cypraeidae family have long attracted collectors . in italy , cowrie shells are called porcellani or little pigs , and when marco polo brought back lustrous pottery from china his countrymen exclaimed that they gleamed like the porcellani , thus giving us the word .
the shells in the pectinidae family are sometimes referred to as “butterflies of the sea” because of the fluttering swimming movement attained by opening and closing the valves and ejecting water in the form of jet propulsion . as the name implies the atlantic deep - sea scallop is found in deeper water but single valves are commonly found in beaches from labrador to north carolina .
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found in shallow waters along the eastern us coast from massachusetts to florida and into gulf of mexico to texas .
in shallow waters of oceans . burrows up to three ft . deep in soft , sandy mud .
- filter feeders . competes with other filter feeders and suspension feeders . when the clam dies and leaves empty burrow , other marine life uses their burrows
as a filter feeder it uses its incurrent siphon to transport micro algae and tiny zooplankton into its body . food is strained from the water on the gills and moves toward mouth . filtered water an waste products then exit out excurrent siphon .
human ' s effect on animal : we pollute the water they live in which decreases their population .
remained burrowed throughout their lives . they can not deburrow themselves after they reached too far 10 - 15mmsl .