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Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
MACTRIDAE: MACTRINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Mactroidea (Superfamily)
> Mactridae (Family)
> Mactrinae (Subfamily)
> Spisula (Genus)
> discors (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Hemimactra Swainson, 1840
=Notospisula Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Hemimactra) Swainson, 1840
=Spisula (Notospisula) Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Ruellia) Cossmann, 1913
=Spisula (Spisula) J.E. Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) Marwick, 1948
=Spisulina P. Fischer, 1887
=Spisulona Marwick, 1948
Synonymised Names:
=Mactra discors J.E. Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) discors (Gray, 1837)
Images: Spisula discors Gray, 1873
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm. © rights reserved
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm. © rights reserved
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm. © rights reserved
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm. © rights reserved
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
MACTRIDAE: MACTRINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Bivalvia (Class)
> Autobranchia (Subclass)
> Heteroconchia (Infraclass)
> Euhetrodonta (Subterclass)
> Imparidentia (Superorder)
> Venerida (Order)
> Mactroidea (Superfamily)
> Mactridae (Family)
> Mactrinae (Subfamily)
> Spisula (Genus)
> discors (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Hemimactra Swainson, 1840
=Notospisula Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Hemimactra) Swainson, 1840
=Spisula (Notospisula) Iredale, 1930
=Spisula (Ruellia) Cossmann, 1913
=Spisula (Spisula) J.E. Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) Marwick, 1948
=Spisulina P. Fischer, 1887
=Spisulona Marwick, 1948
Synonymised Names:
=Mactra discors J.E. Gray, 1837
=Spisula (Spisulona) discors (Gray, 1837)
Details: Spisula discors Gray, 1873
Size/Grows to:
Width 90mm, Height 80mm, Thickness 45mm
Distribution:
North-eastern and southern North Island, northern and southern South Island, from 0-7m
Notes:
Large Trough Shell, Marine, Native - Endemic
Description:
Darker, more inflated than Mactra murchisoni. Colour white under a dark brown periostracum

Distribution Map
 
References and Publications
  • Conroy, A.M., Smith, P.J., Michael, K.P., Stotter, D.R. 1993 Identification and recruitment patterns of juvenile surf clams, Mactra discors and M. murchisoni from central New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 27(3) (p.279)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.413)
  • Boswell, J. Mar/1972 Notes of Interest: Mactra discors, Poirieria, 6(3) (p.58)
  • Gray, J.E. 1837 A synoptical catalogue of the species of certain tribes or genera of shells contained in the collection of the British Museum and the author's cabinet, Magazine of Natural History, N.S, 1 (p.371) Original Description

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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