Two Shells

[jdoherty]

I took these photographs on Nov 18th 2007 along the shore of Belfast Lough at Hazelbank, Newtownabbey, County Antrim. The first was about 3-4cm in length and the second was about 9cm in length. IDs anyone?

Thanks, John.

[SteveSmith]

the first is almost certainly Venerupis senegalensis but its hard to be 100% sure without seeing the hinge. the second ones not so easy, I think it might be a Myidae species but the picture doesn't give much to go on

[Marineboy]

I agree about the hinge issue - John, was this shell circular rather than oval shaped? My feeling is that it would be too circular in shape to be V. senegalensis. Again, without seeing the whole of the shell I would suggest Mysia undata.

The second shell, another bivalve, I would suggest is a very old and worn common Otter shell, Lutraria lutraria. The living animal lives deep in a soft sand/mud substrate - the presence of the remains of black byssus threads top left would indicate a short period where a mussel has attached itself at some time previous - something that would not happen in the lifetime of the living shell. This Otter shell has been laying on the surface for some time resulting in its worn appearance.

[jdoherty]

Thanks both of you for helping with these IDs.

John