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Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
MACTRIDAE: MACTRINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Mactroidea (Superfamily)
> Mactridae (Family)
> Mactrinae (Subfamily)
> Spisula (Genus)
> murchisoni (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Hemimactra Swainson, 1840
=Notospisula Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Hemimactra) Swainson, 1840
=Spisula (Notospisula) Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Ruellia) Cossmann, 1913
=Spisula (Spisula) Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) Marwick, 1948
=Spisulina P. Fischer, 1887
=Spisulona Marwick, 1948
Synonymised Names:
=Mactra murchisoni Reeve, 1854
=Spisula (Spisulona) murchisoni Reeve, 1854
Images: Spisula murchisoni Deshayes, 1854
Waikato River mouth, NZ. 67mm. © rights reserved
Waikato River mouth, NZ. 67mm. © rights reserved
Waikato River mouth, NZ. 67mm. © rights reserved
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
MACTRIDAE: MACTRINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Mactroidea (Superfamily)
> Mactridae (Family)
> Mactrinae (Subfamily)
> Spisula (Genus)
> murchisoni (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Hemimactra Swainson, 1840
=Notospisula Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Hemimactra) Swainson, 1840
=Spisula (Notospisula) Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Ruellia) Cossmann, 1913
=Spisula (Spisula) Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) Marwick, 1948
=Spisulina P. Fischer, 1887
=Spisulona Marwick, 1948
Synonymised Names:
=Mactra murchisoni Reeve, 1854
=Spisula (Spisulona) murchisoni Reeve, 1854
Details: Spisula murchisoni Deshayes, 1854
Size/Grows to:
Width 98mm, Height 80mm
Distribution:
North Island and northern and southern South Island. On exposed sandy beaches, from 0-8m
Notes:
Marine, Native - Endemic
Description:
Wider, less inflated than Mactra discors. More laterally ovate, inequilateral, has transverse plications on the lateral teeth, and the periostracum is always pale straw colour

View Distribution Map
References and Publications
  • Conroy, A.M., Smith, P.J., Michael, K.P., Stotter, D.R. 1993 Identification and recruitment patterns of juvenile surf clams, Mactra discors and M. murchisoni from central New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 27(3) (p.279)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.413)
  • Reeve, L.A. 1854 Monograph of the genus Mactra, Conchologia Iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, 8 (p.1) Original Description

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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