Spondylus exiguus Lamprell & Healy, 2001

Raines, Bret & Huber, Markus, 2012, 3217, Zootaxa 3217, pp. 1-106 : 37-38

Spondylus exiguus Lamprell & Healy, 2001

Figures 18 A–B

Spondylus exiguus Lamprell & Healy, 2001: p. 117 , figs. 2 C–J.

Spondylus exiguus Lamprell & Healy, 2001 — Raines, 2002: p. 34, fig. 40. Material examined. Over a dozen single valves and fragments (4.4 to 9.2 mm) (BK).

Diagnosis. Shell small, (up to 9.2 mm in height) pear-shaped, moderately solid, and nearly equivalve; auricles relatively small. Sculpture consisting of 35–40 pronounced, flattened, scabrous radial ribs; spines are scale-like and angulated; interstices narrow. Color variable from uniformly cream to orange and yellow.

Remarks. The EI and SyG material is identical in shape and sculpture to Spondylus exiguus . However, at least two specimens are in excess of 9 mm and thus represent new maximum size for this small species.

Habitat. Commonly found at many locations around EI, in sand and rubble, from 30–80 m.

Distribution. Spondylus exiguus was originally described from New Caledonia, but is also known from Easter Island. It has never been recorded from the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand or the Kermadec Islands— E4.