Species of the Mediterranean Sea

Comenius Project

Aristeomorpha foliacea

Palinurus elephas

The red shrimp is a decapod shellfish. The carapace is strong and thorny, with an intense dark red colour. Although it’s very small at birth, it can grow up to 22,5 cm; generally the males are smaller than females.It’s common in the Mediterraneansea,in southeastern Africa, Mexican gulf, Australia and New Zealand. You can find it in Japan and Canary islands too.

The Mediterranean lobster, or red lobster, is a decapod shellfish. The body has a cilindric shape and it’s covered with a shell. It’s usually dark red fading to violet, and it’s generally 20-40 cm long. On the front it has got two red-yellow striped antennas longer than the body and curved backward. It’s common in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Simetite

Mactra stultorum

The simetite is a rare variety of amber. It comes back to the Miocene era (20 millions of years ago), and it can be found in different colours, from dark red to dark blue. On the inside the researchers found new animal species, like the Emeria simetitia, an insect discovered in 1984. It’s present in sicilian coasts near Catania (especially near Simeto river, which comes the name from) and in eastern shoreline.

Also known as Mactra Corallina, it’s a thin shell almost opaque and slightly glossy, brilliant. The surface is composed of numerous very fine and irregular strias, stronger towards the ventral edge. The colour can vary from white to yellow to grey. The species lives in the sandy-muddy sea bottoms.

Mytilus galloprovincialis

Muricidae

It’s a lamellibranch clam (bivalve mollusc), also known as mussel. The valve, mainly made of CaCO3, is generally black (sometimes fading to violet) on the outside; on the inside it’s nacre with a smooth surface. The shape is roughly quadrangular. The mussel grows in the whole Mediterranean sea.

This big family lives in tropical waters and in the Mediterranean sea. They can have different shapes and structure: from the thinnest (Murex), thornier , to the thickest (Drupa), similar to fragments of cliffs. They have really vivid colours and they are used as decorations.

Pecten jacobaeus

Ostrea edulis

It’s a species of scallop, an edible saltwater clam. It has the classic shell shape and it can be found in really different colours. The mollusc is vulgarly known as «capasanta». It lives in sandy bottoms and it anchors to substrate. In Europe it lives in the Mediterranean sea and in the coasts of Great Britain.

The European flat oyster (or edible oyster) is a clam (bivalve mollusc) with an almost circular shell. It’s irregular, with a rusty surface. Some oysters, mainly the oriental seas’ species, make pearls. It’s really appreciated in Mediterranean cousine. The oyster lives anchored on rocky coasts; it’s common in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and North Sea.

Gibbula nivosa

Common name Ribbed Mediterranean Limpet, it’s is undoubtedly the most beautiful and the most popular sea snail in our sea. It is able to reach maximum dimensions of about 9 cm. This particular species can live also out of water.

There are about 25 species of Gibbula in the Mediterranean, but for sure the Gibbula Nevosa (also known as Maltese top shell) is the most interesting and important, as it is only found in the island of Malta. It is really small – about 8 mm in diameter – and it lives in deep waters.

Patella Ferruginea

Common name The Wandering Triton or The Little Frog Triton, is a huge species. The shell size varies between 9 cm and 24 cm. This species has a wide distribution. It is found in European waters, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the central and southern Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Pinna nobilis, common name the noble pen shell or fan mussel, is a large species of Mediterranean clam. It is the biggest shell in the Mediterranean sea and it is in danger of disappearing. It can reach 80 cm of height. Inside, it is mother of pearl, with grey and light blue shades. Outside it is less flashy.

Ranella Olearium

Pinna Nobilis

Tonna galea

Commonly known as Zoned Mitre, it was considered, until the 70’s, one of the most rare species of the Mediterranean sea. The dimensions are very large, over 8 cm. It lives in muddy places.

Commonly known as Giant Tun, it is one of the biggest and rare of Mediterranean “Gasteropodi”. It has a spinal ribbing in its surface, a big muzzle with a slight and dentate lip. This very large sea snail or tun snail is found in the North Atlantic Ocean as far as the coast of West Africa, Mediterranean Sea and Caribbean Sea.

Mitra zonata

The EndThanks for watching Greetings from Sicily !

Liceo” Giovanni Verga” Adrano

This work has been produced by:• Salvatore Rocco, 4Ac• Vincenzo Leocata, 5As