Malleus regula (Forsskål, 1775)
Straight hammer oyster
Malleus regula
photo by FAO

Family:  Malleidae (hammer oysters)
Max. size:  12 cm SHL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 20 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific and the Mediterranean: from East Africa, to Melanesia; north to South China and Taiwan Province of China and south to Indonesia; south and eastern parts of the Mediterranean. Tropical to subtropical climates.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Locally collected at low tide by coastal people when abundant (Ref. 348). Attached by their strong byssus to hard substrates where mud occurs, with the shell vertically disposed and the dorsal margin lying on the rock surface, or to the underside of ledges and boulders. Often in dense colonies (maximum recorded density of 870 individuals/m^2), sometimes forming mixed natural beds with Isognomon isognomum. Littoral and sublittoral (Ref. 348).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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