Hiatella arctica ( Linnaeus, 1767 )

Raines, Bret & Huber, Markus, 2012, 3217, Zootaxa 3217, pp. 1-106 : 64

Hiatella arctica ( Linnaeus, 1767)

Figures 32 D–F

Mya arctica Linnaeus, 1767: p. 1113 .

Saxicava hawaiensis Dall et al., 1938: p. 200 , pl. 50, figs. 13–14.

Hiatella hawaiensis ( Dall et al., 1938) — Rehder, 1980: p. 113, pl. 14, figs. 1–4.

Hiatella arctica ( Linnaeus, 1767) — Kay, 1979: p. 572, figs. 185 F–G; Preece, 1995: p. 351; Huber, 2010: p. 275, fig. 1; Spencer et al., 2011: p. 1; Severns, 2011: p. 484, pl. 222, fig. 4.

Material examined. Nearly fifty single valves from EI and SyG (BK), plus specimens from the Hawaiian Islands ( MHU) and Pitcairn Island (BK).

Diagnosis. Shell small to medium, ovate to trapezoidal, often distorted and inflated. Posterior end longer than the anterior and usually gaping. Sculpture of irregular commarginal riblets or striae, rarely with one or two posterior radial ridges with minute spines. Hinge line weak, with one obscure cardinal tooth in RV, two in LV, Color chalky white.

Remarks. The specimens from EI and SyG conform to Hawaiian material, but are too close to European and American material to be separated without solid genetic data. Panamic material is currently also identified as H. arctica (Coan, pers. comm., 2010).

Habitat. Commonly found at many locations around EI and SyG, in sand and rubble, from 20–80 m.

Distribution. This widespread Atlantic and Pan-pacific species can be found from the Arctic Ocean to New Zealand, including the Pitcairn Islands, Hawaiian Islands and Easter Island— E6.