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Taxonomy
Family:
VENERIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Veneroidea (Superfamily)
> Veneridae (Family)
> Tawera (Genus)
> spissa (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Plurigens Finlay, 1930
Synonymised Names:
=Chamelea spissa (Deshayes, 1835)
=Chione gibbosa Hutton, 1873
=Venus (Murcia) scansilis Römer, 1860
=Venus crassa Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus denticulata Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus mesodesma Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus spissa Deshayes, 1835
=Venus violacea Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
Images: Tawera spissa (Deshayes, 1835)
In beach drift, Whangaroa, Northland, NZ. 24mm. © rights reserved
In beach drift, Whangaroa, Northland, NZ. 24mm. © rights reserved
In beach drift, Whangaroa, Northland, NZ. 25mm. © rights reserved
Taxonomy
Family:
VENERIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Veneroidea (Superfamily)
> Veneridae (Family)
> Tawera (Genus)
> spissa (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Plurigens Finlay, 1930
Synonymised Names:
=Chamelea spissa (Deshayes, 1835)
=Chione gibbosa Hutton, 1873
=Venus (Murcia) scansilis Römer, 1860
=Venus crassa Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus denticulata Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus mesodesma Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
=Venus spissa Deshayes, 1835
=Venus violacea Quoy & Gaimard, 1835
Details: Tawera spissa (Deshayes, 1835)
Size/Grows to:
Width 34mm, Height 27mm
Distribution:
North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands, from 0-1006m
Notes:
Marine, Native - Endemic, Common on sandy beaches
Description:
Highly variable patterns, usually zigzags or streaks

View Distribution Map
References and Publications
  • Eagle, M.K. Dec/2014 Tawera spissa (Bivalvia) Predation by Astropecten polyacanthus (Asteroidea) in Northland, New Zealand, Poirieria, 38 (p.28)
  • Marshall, B.A., Spencer, H.G. 2013 Comments on some taxonomic changes affecting marine Bivalvia of the New Zealand region recently introduced in Huber's Compendium of bivalves, with some additional taxonomic changes, Molluscan Research, 33(1) (p.45)
  • Beu, A.G. 2004 Marine Mollusca of oxygen isotope stages of the last 2 million years in New Zealand. Part 1: Revised generic positions and recognition of warm-water and cool-water migrants, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 34 (p.181)
  • Cumber, R.A. Nov/1983 Colour patterns of Tawera spissa (Deshayes, 1835) (Veneridae) in the Far North, Poirieria, 13(2)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.424)

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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