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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
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm
Tokerau Beach, Northland, NZ. 60mm
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, South and Stewart Island
Geographical Range:
ACFE.
Notes:
Large Trough Shell, Marine, Endemic, 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

Key to Geographical Ranges
NZ Map showing Geographical Ranges
The symbols K.A.C.F.M.An. are used to indicate the geographical range of the species. They have been adopted to give an approximation of the range of each species within New Zealand.
K=
Kermadec Islands
A=
Aupourian - Kaipara Harbour, north around North Cape, encompassing the Three Kings Islands and south to East Cape
C=
Cookian - Lower North Island and the northern part of the South Island
F=
Forsterian - Otago, Fiordland and Stewart Island
M=
Moriorian - Chatham Islands, Pitt Island
An=
Antipodean - Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
E =
Endemic
I =
Introduced
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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