MESODESMATIDAE, Gray, 1840

Oliver, P. Graham, Holmes, Anna, Killeen, Ian, Light, Janice & Wood, Harriet, 2004, Annotated checklist of the marine Bivalvia of Rodrigues, Journal of Natural History 38 (23), pp. 3229-3272 : 3256

MESODESMATIDAE Atactodea striata (Gmelin, 1791)

Habitat (inferred). Burrowing in sand beaches in the upper littoral.

Distribution. Disarticulated valves have been found along the strand-lines of the shores on the north coast but no living specimens have been found.

Remarks. In other parts of the Indian Ocean this species is abundant in sand beaches of moderate energy and is replaced by donacids in high-energy conditions. It is frequently part of local subsistence diets and may have been depleted in Rodrigues. Alternatively, the nature of the north coast beaches may have changed with the increasing silt content reported by residents.

Range. Indo-Pacific [R/M/S].

Figured specimen. 37.4 mm, NMW.Z.2000.086.00050.