Abstract
AMONG the most obscure of marine bivalves are the elongated anomiids which occur on the leaves and exposed roots of mangroves over an uncertain area in the tropical central Indo–Pacific, but certainly ranging from Malaya to the Philippines and to north-east Australia. According to Iredale1, the original description, based on a single valve from the East Indies, is that of Chemnitz in 1795. He named it Tellina aenigmatica, but he was non-binomial and the earliest valid user was Sowerby, who in 1825 used the name Anomia aenigmatica. Later, Koch introduced the generic name, as it later turned out pre-occupied, Aenigma, Iredale2 being responsible for its substitution in 1918 by Enigmonia. Individuals found on mangrove leaves (Fig. 1) are flat and oval; those on stems and roots are more elongate with the shell curved in the line of the long axis so as to conform with the surface. It is not known whether these are separate species or are growth forms.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Iredale, T., Sci. Rpts. G. Barrier Reef Exped., Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 5, 209 (1939).
Iredale, T., Proc. Malac. Soc. Lond., 13, 31 (1918).
Allan, J., “Australian Shells” (Melbourne, 1950).
Atkins, D., Quart. J. Micro. Sci., 79, 181 (1936).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
YONGE, C. Enigmonia aenigmatica Sowerby, a Motile Anomiid (Saddle Oyster). Nature 180, 765–766 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/180765a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/180765a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.