#malleidae

[drhoz]

#2803 - Malleus alba - White Hammer Oyster

Not True Oysters (Fam. Ostreidae) but they are related to the Pearl Oysters (Fam. Pteriidae). There are 22 species in the Malleidae, and most live around coral reefs, where the long wings help keep them anchored in the sand despite strong currents.

Nonetheless, Hammer Oysters often suffer heavy damage, and most older shells are grotesquely distorted and show extensive areas of repair, and sometimes significant regrowth.

Otago Museum, Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand

[drhoz]

Fact sheet with photos on flora and fauna of Singapore's intertidal shores

[drhoz]

#990 - Malleus sp. - Hammer Oyster

Another bivalve, related to the pearl oysters, but in their own family. Hammer Oysters have T-shaped shells, with the hinge along the top of the ‘T’, and live on sandy or muddy sand bottoms in shallow water. They’re not uncommon, but prefer tropical coralline habitats.

Cape Peron, Perth