Spondylus – Wikipedia

Genus of molluscs

Spondylus
A shell of Spondylus regius
Scientific classification
Area:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Pectinida
Superfamily:	Pectinoidea
Household:	Spondylidae Gray, 1826
Genus:	Spondylus Linnaeus, 1758[1]
Type species
Spondylus gaederopus
Species
See text
Synonyms
Carallospondylus Monterosato, 1917 † Dianchora J. Sowerby, 1815 Eleutherospondylos Dunker, 1882 Eltopera Iredale, 1939 Lanilda Iredale, 1939 Spondylus (Corallospondylus) Monterosato, 1917 Spondylus (Eleutherospondylos) Dunker, 1882 Spondylus (Eltopera) Iredale, 1939 Spondylus (Lanilda) Iredale, 1939 Spondylus (Rimaespondylus) Damarco, 2015 (unavailable title: no sort species designated) Spondylus (Sponvola) Iredale, 1939 Sponvola Iredale, 1939

Spondylus is a genus of bivalve molluscs, the one genus within the family Spondylidae.^[2] They’re recognized in English as spiny oysters or thorny oysters (although they don’t seem to be, in reality, true oysters).

Description[edit]

The various species of Spondylus fluctuate significantly in look. They’re grouped in the identical superfamily because the scallops.

They don’t seem to be intently associated to true oysters (household Ostreidae); nevertheless, they do share some habits corresponding to cementing themselves to rocks moderately than attaching themselves by a byssus. The 2 halves of their shells are joined with a ball-and-socket sort of hinge, moderately than with a toothed hinge as is extra frequent in different bivalves. Additionally they nonetheless retain vestigial anterior and posterior auricles (“ears”, triangular shell flaps) alongside the hinge line, a attribute characteristic of scallops, although not of oysters.

As is the case in all scallops, Spondylus spp. have a number of eyes across the edges of their mantle, and so they have comparatively well-developed nervous systems. Their nervous ganglia are concentrated within the visceral area, with recognisable optic lobes linked to the eyes.

Evolutionary historical past[edit]

The genus Spondylus appeared within the Mesozoic era, and is understood within the fossil data from the Triassic Cassian beds in Italy (235 to 232 million years in the past) onwards. About 40 extinct species are recognized.^[3]

Fossils of those molluscs could be present in fossiliferous marine strata everywhere in the world. For instance, they’re current in Cretaceaous rocks within the Fort Worth Formation of Texas, and within the Trent River Formation of Vancouver Island, in addition to in different elements of North America.^[4][5]

Distribution[edit]

Spiny oysters are present in all subtropical and (particularly) tropical seas, normally near the coasts.

Ecology[edit]

Spondylus are filter feeders. The adults reside cemented to onerous substrates, a attribute they share, by convergent evolution, with true oysters and jewel boxes. Just like the latter, they’re protected by spines and a layer of epibionts and, like the previous, they’ll produce pearls.^[6] The kind of substrate they use depends upon the species: many solely connect to coral, and the most important variety of species is present in tropical coral reefs; others, (significantly S. spinosus) nevertheless, simply adapt to man-made buildings, and have grow to be vital invasive species. Others nonetheless are sometimes discovered hooked up to different shells, maybe the commonest belonging to the genus Malleus.

Archaeological proof signifies that individuals in Neolithic Europe have been buying and selling the shells of S. gaederopus to make bangles and different ornaments all through a lot of the Neolithic interval.^[7] The principle use interval seems to have been from round 5350 to 4200 BC.^[7] The shells have been harvested from the Aegean Sea, however have been transported far into the middle of the continent. Within the LBK and Lengyel cultures, Spondylus shells from the Aegean Sea have been labored into bracelets and belt buckles. Over time types modified with the center neolithic favouring typically bigger barrel-shaped beads and the late neolithic smaller flatter and disk formed beads.^[7] Important finds of jewellery constituted of Spondylus shells have been made on the Varna Necropolis. Throughout the late Neolithic using Spondylus in grave items seems to have been restricted to girls and youngsters.^[7]

S. crassisquama is discovered off the coast of Colombia and Ecuador and has been vital to Andean peoples since pre-Columbian instances, serving as each an providing to the Pachamama and as foreign money.^[8] In actual fact, very similar to in Europe, the Spondylus shells additionally reached far and extensive, as pre-Hispanic Ecuadorian peoples traded them with peoples as far north as present-day Mexico and as far south because the central Andes.^[9] The Moche folks of historic Peru regarded the ocean and animals as sacred; they used Spondylus shells of their artwork and depicted Spondylus in effigy pots.^[10] Spondylus have been additionally harvested from the Gulf of California and traded to tribes by means of Mexico and the American Southwest.

Spondylus shells have been the driving issue of commerce throughout the Central Andes and have been utilized in the same method to gold nuggets, copper hatches, coca, salt, purple pepper, and cotton fabric.^[11]

The usage of Spondylus shells is what led to an economic system of types within the Central Andes and led to the event of a service provider class, “mercardes”, in numerous cultures throughout the Central Andes.^[12] This brought about the event of various types of commerce that went by means of evolutionary modifications all through pre-Columbian instances. These are reciprocity (house primarily based), reciprocity (boundary), down-the-line commerce, central place (redistribution), central place (market trade), emissary buying and selling, and port of commerce.^[13] These modes of commerce dictate the way in which that the Spondylus shells are traded, in addition to who’s benefiting probably the most from the trades. Modes corresponding to central place (redistribution) require the entity that’s the central place to be the one which positive factors probably the most profit from the commerce, and modes corresponding to emissary buying and selling and port of commerce are the modes that began the “mercardes” class throughout the Central Andes.

The worth of Spondylus shells within the Central Andes stems from provide and demand. There was loads of demand for Spondylus shells as a result of “fetishistic must the south”.^[14]

Even at this time, there are collectors of Spondylus shells, and a industrial market exists for them. Moreover, some species (particularly S. americanus) are typically discovered within the saltwater aquariums.

S. limbatus was generally floor for mortar in Central America, giving increase to its junior synonym, “S. calcifer”.

Spondylus is fished primarily for its adductor muscle, or “callus”, which is a high-value foodstuff.^[15] Some Mediterranean species are edible and are generally consumed, with S. gaederopus specifically being in style in Sardinia. Tropical species, nevertheless, are likely to bioaccumulate saxitoxin.^[16]
The Romans ate them. Macrobius in Saturnalia III.13 describes a cocktail party in 63 BCE wherein there have been two programs of Spondylus.

Aztec tradition[edit]

Along with its significance within the pre-Columbian instances, Spondylus crassiquama was additionally an vital a part of Aztec tradition. Spondylus makes use of amongst Aztecs included: artwork, jewellery, statues, spiritual motifs, and at instances foreign money. One instance of Spondylus utilized in artwork is the double-headed serpent which could be seen amongst photos on the fitting of the web page.

As said above, Spondylus held immense spiritual worth amongst Aztec tradition pre-columbian instances and can also be an amazing illustration of the connection between the Aztec empire and nature. To Aztec teams and peoples’, Spondylus was a present from the gods to be celebrated. Sure Spondylus teams have been shaped because of when and the place they are often discovered seasonally and have a tendency to attach a selected group of Spondylus to particular spiritual symbols such because the Solar god, the Moon goddess, and the mountain spirits. This led to sure teams of Spondylus being related to seasonal climate occasions corresponding to heavy rains or will increase in sea temperature alongside the coast, as these occasions have been intently related to explicit gods or spirits in Aztec tradition [1].

Spondylus had a number of key makes use of in pre-Columbian Aztec historical past, most predominantly its significance in jewellery, artwork, and sculpture. One other use of Spondylus, that needed to be carried out with excessive element and precision, was to create breathtaking masks, vests, and different items people would use to specific how useful or rich they have been in life and loss of life. By having probably the most lovely Spondylus items, meant that particular person had immense energy throughout the group.^[17]

Species[edit]

Spondylidae taxonomy has undergone many revisions,^[18] principally as a result of the truth that identification is historically primarily based on the shell solely, and that is extremely variable. So as to add to this, whereas some shallow-water species are extraordinarily frequent, not less than two deep-water ones are recognized from a single specimen, whereas a 3rd (S. gravis)^[19] was solely rediscovered after 77 years. A minimum of one other frequent species (S. regius) has a distinct shell when it grows in deep water.^[20]

^[2]

See additionally: Tikod amo, an undescribed species

References[edit]

Exterior hyperlinks[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media associated to Spondylus.