The amethyst gem clam (Gemma gemma) is species of very small saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams.
| Amethyst gem clam | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gemma gemma shell | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Venerida |
| Family: | Veneridae |
| Genus: | Gemma Deshayes, 1853 |
| Species: | G. gemma
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gemma gemma (Totten, 1834)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Gemma purpurea Lea, 1842 | |
It is a small species, reaching a length of only 5 mm.[1] The shell color is whitish or grayish, suffused with purple on both outer and inner surfaces.
The species is native to the Atlantic coast of North America, from Labrador to Texas,[2] but it is now also found as an introduced species in some locations on the Pacific coast.[3]
References
edit- ^ Sellmer, G P (1967). "Functional morphology and ecological life history of the gem clam, Gemma gemma (Eulamellibranchia: Veneridae)". Malacologia. 5: 37–233.
- ^ Global Invasive Species Database. "Gemma gemma (mollusc)". Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Kaustuv R, D Jablonski & J W Valentine (2001). "Climate change, species range limits and body size in marine bivalves" (PDF). Ecology Letters. 4 (4): 366–370. Bibcode:2001EcolL...4..366K. doi:10.1046/j.1461-0248.2001.00236.x. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
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