Watering
pot shell
Verpa penis
Family
Clavagellidae
updated
Feb 11
Where
seen? This strange animal is a bivalve that is tubular.
It is sometimes seen at Changi. It was previously known as Brechites
penis.
Features: About 12cm long.The
broader end is perforated with tiny holes and this is usually buried
in the ground with the narrow tip facing the surface. Siphons emerge
from the narrow tip. The broader end
resembles a watering can, hence its common name. There are two tiny
oval shapes which is all that remains of the two valves of this strange
bivalve.
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| Status
and threats: This animal is listed as "Presumed
Nationally Extinct" on the Red List of threatened animals
of Singapore. But a
paper in Nature in Singapore (pdf) found that recent sightings
suggest this animal is alive and well on our shores. |
|
Changi, May 11 |
How it is
normally buried.
Changi, May 11
Photo
shared by James Koh on his
blog. |
Changi, Sep 07 |
Pulau Sekudu, May 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his
blog. |
Changi, Aug 11 |
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|
Family
Clavagellidae recorded for Singapore
from
Tan Siong Kiat and Henrietta P. M. Woo, 2010 Preliminary Checklist
of The Molluscs of Singapore.
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Brechites/Verpa
penis (Watering pot shell) |
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|
Links
References
- Tan, S. K.,
S. H. Tan & M. E. Y. Low, 2011. A
reassessment of Verpa penis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mollusca:
Bivalvia: Clavagelloidea), a species presumed nationally extinct.
Nature in Singapore, 4: 5–8. [PDF, 192 KB].
- Tan Siong
Kiat and Henrietta P. M. Woo, 2010 Preliminary
Checklist of The Molluscs of Singapore (pdf), Raffles
Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore.
- Tan, K. S.
& L. M. Chou, 2000. A
Guide to the Common Seashells of Singapore. Singapore
Science Centre. 160 pp.
- Davison,
G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore
Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore.
Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.
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