Clausinella fasciata


Clausinella fasciata, the banded venus, is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae.

Fossil record

Fossils of Clausinella fasciata are found in marine strata from the Miocene until the Quaternary. Fossils are known from various localities in Cyprus, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Morocco and Spain.

Description

This species has a solid, flat, sub-triangular shell which grows to in length. Surface colour is variable; red, pink, purple, yellow or brown with radiating bands and colourful streaks. It may have up to fifteen broad concentric ridges on older specimens. The interior is dull white.

Right and left valve of the same specimen:

Distribution and habitat

The banded venus has a recorded distribution and common around all coasts of the British Isles. It is found in coarse gravel, typically containing sand or shell fragments, down to depths of as much as.