Fragum mundum from Rowley Shoals, WA (Photo: Lisa Kirkendale)
Collected lot of Fragum mundum from Rowley Shoals, WA (Photo: Lisa Kirkendale)

Fragum mundum

Shell very small to small (H 5-12 mm), inequilateral, quite solid, trapezoidal with typical rounded anterior margin and straight to slightly concave posterior keel. 26-30 ribs, flat topped, crowded scales to spiny and sometimes leaf-like on posterior slope. Color exterior to interior cream to white and on posterior appearing striped given translucencies interspersed with opaque white areas there.

Morphology

Small robust species with spiny to scaly rib ornamentation that facilitates adherence to tufty algal mats for nestling. Window shell microstructure evident on posterior shell surface, however, unstudied at this time. Photosymbiotic.

Evolution

Kirkendale (2009) has shown (and others have confirmed e.g. Herrera et al. 2015) that Fragum is paraphyletic and includes Corculum and Lunulicardia, the two other wholly photosymbiotic lineages of cardiids. Fragum mundum falls in a subclade that includes Corculum and Lunulicardia, not other Fragum. The phylogeny of members of the Fraginae subfamily is in a state of flux and the taxonomy of the group is in need of attention

Behaviour

Epifaunal nestler.

Method of reproduction

Broadcast spawner.

Habitat

Marine

Byssus present as tether. Nestler in low growing algae laden rock depressions or pools with high exposure/flow in clean coralline sand.

Distribution

Wide distribution in the Indo-west Pacific.

Life Cycle

Short lived veliger larvae.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Heterodonta
Superorder: Imparidentia
Order: Cardiida
Superfamily: Cardioidea
Family: Cardiidae
Subfamily: Fraginae
Genus: Fragum
Species: mundum
Name Published Year: 1845
Rank: species
Scientific Name Authorship: Reeve
Commercial Impact: 

None

Conservation Assessment: Least Concern

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

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Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/fragum-mundum
Accessed 12 Aug 2024

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References

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Kirkendale, L. (2009). Their Day in the Sun: molecular phylogenetics and origin of photosymbiosis in the ‘other’ group of photosymbiotic marine bivalves (Cardiidae: Fraginae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society of London, 97, 448–465.

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