Americoliva flammulata (Lamarck, 1811)
Nomenclature
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Genus: AmericolivaUnranked: Americoliva - Eastern Atlantic species
SUMMARY
A common shallow water species, with a maximum shell length of around 30 mm, distributed from Cabo Blanco, Mauretania, to the south of Angola (Tropical Atlantic realm. Gulf of Guinea province). with a subspecies recognised from Cabo Verde (West African Transition province) It is the type species of Strephona Mörch, 1852.
RV 6031. Sao Tomé & Principe, NW of Lagoa Azul; in sand; 2015.
Two subspecies are recognised:
| Subspecies | Distributio | |
|---|---|---|
| Americoliva f. flammulata (Lamarck, 1811) | Cabo Blanco, Mauretania, to the south of Angola. |
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| Americoliva f. verdensis (Petuch & Sargent, 1986) | Cabo Verde |
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A report of a single specimen from the Canary Islands (Temperate Northern Atlantic realm, Lusitania province) by Kuntz (2000) needs confirmation.
The species seems to be the direct descendant of Americoliva dufresnei (Basterot, 1825), an extremely common fossil of Oligocene (Chattian) and Miocene (Aquitanian, Burdigalian and Serravalian) deposits of the Aquitaine Basin, France. As a matter of fact, based on shell characters it is almost impossible to separate the two.