Granicorium from Australian waters, with descriptions of a new species (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Veneridae)

Abstract

Only two genera are represented in the venerid subfamily Samarangiinae, Samarangia and Granicorium, these are similar in appearance, being totally covered externally by an extraperiostracal layer J.Taylor pers .com.) of agglutinated sand, they can be readily separated by the lack of lateral teeth in Granicorium (present in Samarangia). Samarangia contains the single species. Snmarangia quadrangularis, (A.Adams & Reeve,1850), which occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific. Granicorium, which is confined to Australian coastal waters has two species, G. indutum (Hedley, 1906), the type of the genus, and G. citrinum n.sp from northern Queensland. G.attonitum lredale, 1936 is placed in the synonymy. of G.indutum. The known range of Granicorium indutum is extended south from central Queensland to southern Western Australia.

Key words:

• Mollusca: Bivalvia: Veneridae
• Granicorium
• new species
• Queensland