Solelucina, Glover & Taylor, 2007

Glover, Emily A. & Taylor, John D., 2007, Diversity of chemosymbiotic bivalves on coral reefs: Lucinidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) of New Caledonia and Lifou, Zoosystema 29 (1), pp. 109-181 : 124

Genus Solelucina n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Solelucina koumacia n. sp. (here designated).

DIAGNOSIS. — Shells small, H to 19 mm, L to 23 mm, with elongate oval outline, blunt posterior shell margin. Exterior smooth, juvenile shell with prominent commarginal lamellae. Hinge with single cardinal tooth in each valve, RV with low, ridge-like, anterior and posterior lateral teeth, lateral teeth absent in LV. Anterior adductor muscle scar short, reniform in outline, detached from pallial line for only 1/5 of length. Inner shell margin smooth. Shell colour distinctive – cream to white, often with red to orange rays.

ETYMOLOGY. — Latin sol, sun, a reference to sunray-like, red, radiating rays on the shell.

REMARKS

With the elongate, smooth shell and pink/orange radial colour pattern, Solelucina n. gen. is a very unusual lucinid with a superficial resemblance to some species of Tellinidae . However, it shares a number of characters with Myrtea and Notomyrtea , including the elongate outline and similar hinge dentition. Although the exterior shells of adult Solelucina n. gen. are smooth, the commarginal lamellae of the juvenile shells are similar to those of Myrtea . The short, reniform, anterior adductor muscle scar and the glossy shell interior are also similar.