Limatula (Antarctolima) hodgsoni

Limatula (Antarctolima) hodgsoni is found in Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia Island, Shag Rocks, Bouvet Island, Macquarie Island, and off Cape Horn from 6 to 1,180 meters depth [6,8,9]. L. hodgsoni is very abundant in the Ross Sea from 6 to 695 meters depth and can be found in the sponge spicule surface mat [6,10].

The gastropod Trophon longstaffi drills into the shell of Limatula (Antarctolima) hodgsoni to eat it [4,5]. Other predators of L. hodgsoni include the seastars Diplasterias brucei and Odontaster validus [5].

The shell of L. hodgsoni is white, can be up to 27 millimeters high and looks like a cockle [1,2]. The L. hodgsoni shell is rather thin, roundly oval and swollen in appearance, with no gaping opening [1,7]. The L. hodgsoni shell is radially ribbed to the ears, with the ribs rounded in profile and crossed with concentric lamellae [1,2]. The sponges Isodictya setifera and Leucetta leptoraphis may be found attached to the valves of L. hodgsoni [5].

L. hodgsoni is presumed to spawn their eggs by broadcasting them into the water where they develop into larvae [3].

Taxonomic Note: L. hodgsoni was assigned to the subgenus Antarctolima in 1990 [6]. Earlier, L. hodgsoni was given the genus Antarctolima in 1977 [1] and given the subgenus Squamilima in 1978 [2], with precedence going to the subgenus Antarctolima [11].

1: Venus, Japanese Journal of Malacology 36(3):105-107, 1977; 2: Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 8(1):17-91, 1978; 3: Antarctic Journal of the United States 20(5):138- 139, 1985; 4: Antarctic Ecology, Volume 1. MW Holdgate, ed. NY: Academic Press, 1970. pp244-258; 5: Ecological Monographs 44(1):105-128, 1974; 6: Antarctic Mollusca : with Special Reference to the Fauna of the Ross Sea. RK Dell. Wellington, NZ : Royal Society of New Zealand, 1990. Bulletin 27, Royal Society of New Zealand; 7: ARION 20(2):133-141, 1995; 8: Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum 5(3,4):117-193, 1960; 9: Scientia Marina 63(Supplement 1):399-407, 1999; 10: Polar Biology 23(3):173-182, 2000; 11: Polar Biology 25(11):818-826, 2003

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Peter Brueggeman.