Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help
Researched by | Catherine Wilding | Refereed by | This information is not refereed |
Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) | ||
Other common names | - | Synonyms | - |
A large heart-shaped shell up to 10 cm long. Its two shells are rounded and the beaks of the shell curve spirally, away from the hinge, giving it the characteristic heart-shape when viewed from the side. The two valves are similar in shape and structure (equivalve). The shell is globular with a slightly circular outline, deep and thick but light-weight. The outer layer of the shell (periostracum) is thick, dark brown, red-brown or very dark green in adults and light greenish-yellow in juveniles. The periostracum is often covered with firm short hairs radiating from the beaks, sometimes giving the shells a glossy appearance. Beneath the outer layer, the shell is off-white, yellowish or fawn, sometimes with red-brown streaks. Inside empty shells, the pallial line shows no indentation for the pallial sinus.
Glossus humanus is a rarely recorded species.
Meikejohn, R.G., 1977. A note on the distribution of Glossus humanus (L., 1758) in British and Irish waters. Conchologists' Newsletter, 63, 46-47.
Oliver, P.G., Holmes, A.M., Killeen, I.J. & Turner, J.A., 2016. Marine Bivalve Shells of the British Isles. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. Available from: http://naturalhistory.museumwales.ac.uk/britishbivalves [Cited: 3 July 2018].
Owen, G., 1953. On the biology of Glossus humanus (L.) (Isocardia cor Lam.). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 32 (1), 85-106.
Tebble, N., 1976. British Bivalve Seashells. A Handbook for Identification, 2nd ed. Edinburgh: British Museum (Natural History), Her Majesty's Stationary Office.
Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 2018. Mollusc (marine) data for Great Britain and Ireland - restricted access. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/4bsawx accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.
Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 2018. Mollusc (marine) records for Great Britain and Ireland. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/aurwcz accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.
Fenwick, 2018. Aphotomarine. Occurrence dataset http://www.aphotomarine.com/index.html Accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-10-01
NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.
OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), 2023. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2023-03-25
This review can be cited as:
Last Updated: 13/10/2009