Clausinella fasciata

Clausinella fasciata, the banded venus, is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae.

Fossil record
Fossils of Clausinella fasciata are found in marine strata from the Miocene until the Quaternary (age range: from 20.43 to 0.012 million years ago). Fossils are known from various localities in Cyprus, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Morocco and Spain.



Description
This species has a solid, flat, sub-triangular shell which grows to 2.5 cm in length. Surface colour is variable; red, pink, purple, yellow or brown with radiating bands and colourful streaks. It may have up to fifteen broad concentric ridges on older specimens. The interior is dull white.

Distribution and habitat
The banded venus has a recorded distribution and common around all coasts of the British Isles. It is found in coarse gravel, typically containing sand or shell fragments, down to depths of as much as 100 m.