WoRMS taxon details
Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758)
140590 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:140590)
accepted
Species
Arca margaritacea Bruguière, 1789 · unaccepted
Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Glycimeris argentea da Costa, 1778 · unaccepted (synonym)
Glycymeris argentea da Costa, 1777 · unaccepted
Nucula (Nucula) nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · alternative representation
Nucula (Pronucula) distincta W. H. Turton, 1932 · unaccepted
Nucula distincta W. H. Turton, 1932 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Nucula nitida var. ventrosa Jeffreys, 1879 · unaccepted
Nucula nucleata Locard, 1886 · unaccepted
Nucula pulchra Hinds, 1843 sensu Krauss, 1848 · unaccepted (misapplication)
Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931 · unaccepted (suspected misidentification)
Polyodonta nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Pronucula distincta (W. H. Turton, 1932) · unaccepted
Tellina adriatica Gmelin, 1791 · unaccepted
Tellina iberica Gmelin, 1791 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent + fossil
(of Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 695 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 695 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Fossil range Oligocene - Recent
Fossil range Oligocene - Recent [details]
MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140590 on 2026-09-03
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
(of Arca margaritacea Bruguière, 1789) Bruguière, J.G. (1789-1792). Encyclopédie méthodique ou par ordre de matières, par une Societe de gens de Lettres, de Savans et D'Artistes. [Methodical encyclopedia or by order of subjects, by a Society of Men of Letters, Scholars and Artists.]. <em>Histoire naturelle des Vers, Paris: Pancoucke.</em> volume 1: i-xviii, 1-344 [Livraison 32, June 1789]; 345-757 [Livraison 48, 13 Feb. 1792] [Dates after Evenhuis, 2003, Zootaxa, 166: 37; Zootaxa, 207, some modified by Evenhuis & Petit 2003 Zootaxa 207:1-4]., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8892006 [details]
original description (of Glycymeris argentea da Costa, 1777) da Costa, E. M. (1778). <i>Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology</i>; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. i-xii, 1-254, i-vii, [1], Pl. I-XVII. London. (Millan, White, Emsley & Robson). , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13116783
page(s): 170 [details]
original description (of Glycimeris argentea da Costa, 1778) da Costa, E. M. (1778). <i>Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology</i>; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. i-xii, 1-254, i-vii, [1], Pl. I-XVII. London. (Millan, White, Emsley & Robson). , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13116783
page(s): 170; pl. 15 fig. 6 [details]
original description (of Tellina adriatica Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 [details]
original description (of Tellina iberica Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 [details]
original description (of Nucula nitida var. ventrosa Jeffreys, 1879) Jeffreys, J. G. (1879). On the Mollusca procured during the 'Lightning' and 'Porcupine' expeditions 1868-1870. (Part II). <em>Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.</em> 1879 : 553-588, pl. 45-46., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28521697
page(s): 584 [details]
original description (of Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 695 [details] Available for editors [request]
original description (of Nucula nucleata Locard, 1886) Locard, A. (1886). <i>Prodrome de malacologie française. Catalogue général des mollusques vivants de France. Mollusques marins</i>. Lyon: H. Georg & Paris: Baillière. x + 778 pp. , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10831012
page(s): 483 [details]
original description (of Nucula distincta W. H. Turton, 1932) Turton, W. H. (1932). The marine shells of Port Alfred S. Africa. Humphrey Milford, London. pp. i-xvi, 1-331, pls 1-70. [published 22 Dec. 1932]. (look up in IMIS)
page(s): 214, pl. 55, sp. 1489. [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 180-213., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/ocrd/254404.pdf [details]
original description (of Glycymeris argentea da Costa, 1777) da Costa, E. M. (1778). <i>Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology</i>; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. i-xii, 1-254, i-vii, [1], Pl. I-XVII. London. (Millan, White, Emsley & Robson). , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13116783
page(s): 170 [details]
original description (of Glycimeris argentea da Costa, 1778) da Costa, E. M. (1778). <i>Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology</i>; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. i-xii, 1-254, i-vii, [1], Pl. I-XVII. London. (Millan, White, Emsley & Robson). , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13116783
page(s): 170; pl. 15 fig. 6 [details]
original description (of Tellina adriatica Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 [details]
original description (of Tellina iberica Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5 [details]
original description (of Nucula nitida var. ventrosa Jeffreys, 1879) Jeffreys, J. G. (1879). On the Mollusca procured during the 'Lightning' and 'Porcupine' expeditions 1868-1870. (Part II). <em>Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.</em> 1879 : 553-588, pl. 45-46., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28521697
page(s): 584 [details]
original description (of Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 695 [details] Available for editors
[request]original description (of Nucula nucleata Locard, 1886) Locard, A. (1886). <i>Prodrome de malacologie française. Catalogue général des mollusques vivants de France. Mollusques marins</i>. Lyon: H. Georg & Paris: Baillière. x + 778 pp. , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10831012
page(s): 483 [details]
original description (of Nucula distincta W. H. Turton, 1932) Turton, W. H. (1932). The marine shells of Port Alfred S. Africa. Humphrey Milford, London. pp. i-xvi, 1-331, pls 1-70. [published 22 Dec. 1932]. (look up in IMIS)
page(s): 214, pl. 55, sp. 1489. [details] Available for editors
[request]basis of record Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 180-213., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/ocrd/254404.pdf [details]
Identification resource
identification resource
Cosel, R. von; Gofas, S. (2019). <i>Marine bivalves of tropical West Africa: from Rio de Oro to southern Angola</i>. Publications Scientifiques du Muséum, Paris, IRD Éditions, Marseille (Faune et Flore tropicales, volume 48): 1-1104. , available online at https://doi.org/10.5852/fft48
page(s): 74 [details]
page(s): 74 [details]
Other
additional source
Ardovini, R.; Cossignani, T. (2004). West African seashells (including Azores, Madeira and Canary Is.) = Conchiglie dell'Africa Occidentale (incluse Azzorre, Madeira e Canarie). English-Italian edition. L'Informatore Piceno: Ancona, Italy. ISBN 88-86070-11-X. 319 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. (2018). Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa. Malachite Marketing and Media: Pretoria. Pp. 249–320. , available online at http://doi.org/10.15493/SAEON.PUB.10000001
page(s): 308 [details]
additional source Huber, M. (2010). <i>Compendium of bivalves. A full-color guide to 3,300 of the world's marine bivalves. A status on Bivalvia after 250 years of research</i>. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. 901 pp., 1 CD-ROM. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp.
page(s): 153. [details]
additional source Zamouri-Langar, N.; Chouba, L.; Ajjabi Chebil, L.; Mrabet, R.; El Abed, A. (2011). Les coquillages bivalves des côtes tunisiennes. Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer: Salammbô. ISBN 978-9938-9512-0-2. 128 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
subsequent type designation Schenck, H. G. (1935). Neotypes of <i>Nucula nucleus</i> (Linné). <em>Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London.</em> 21: 258-261., available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.mollus.a064250 [details] Available for editors [request]
[request]additional source Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. (2018). Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa. Malachite Marketing and Media: Pretoria. Pp. 249–320. , available online at http://doi.org/10.15493/SAEON.PUB.10000001
page(s): 308 [details]
additional source Huber, M. (2010). <i>Compendium of bivalves. A full-color guide to 3,300 of the world's marine bivalves. A status on Bivalvia after 250 years of research</i>. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. 901 pp., 1 CD-ROM. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp.
page(s): 153. [details]
additional source Zamouri-Langar, N.; Chouba, L.; Ajjabi Chebil, L.; Mrabet, R.; El Abed, A. (2011). Les coquillages bivalves des côtes tunisiennes. Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer: Salammbô. ISBN 978-9938-9512-0-2. 128 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
subsequent type designation Schenck, H. G. (1935). Neotypes of <i>Nucula nucleus</i> (Linné). <em>Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London.</em> 21: 258-261., available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.mollus.a064250 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Fossil range Oligocene - Recent [details]Unreviewed
Publication date The correct date of publication is 1758 and not 1767 as Janssen (1975) maintain. [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Danish | Grøn nøddemusling | [details] |
| Dutch | parelmoerneutovale parelmoerneut | [details] |
| English | nuclear nut clamcommon nut clam | [details] |
| French | nucule nacréenucule | [details] |
| German | gemeine Nussmuschel | [details] |
Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
To Barcode of Life (16 barcodes) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To Barcode of Life (8 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications) (from synonym Nucula pulchra Hinds, 1843 sensu Krauss, 1848)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (51 publications) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To Conchology (Nucula nucleus)
To Dyntaxa
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Nucula nucleus)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Nucula tumidula) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To GenBank (44 nucleotides; 20 proteins)
To Malacopics (Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) Belgium, Antwerpen, Berchem)
To Malacopics (Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) United Kingdom, Highland, Outer Hebrides, E of Ming...
To Marine Bivalves of the British Isles webpage at National Museum of Wales
To PESI
To PESI (from synonym Arca margaritacea Bruguière, 1789)
To PESI (from synonym Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758)
To PESI (from synonym Nucula nucleata Locard, 1886)
To PESI (from synonym Tellina adriatica Gmelin, 1791)
To PESI (from synonym Nucula nitida var. ventrosa Jeffreys, 1879)
To PESI (from synonym Glycimeris argentea da Costa, 1778)
To The Arctic Traits Database (14 traits)
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To ITIS
To Barcode of Life (16 barcodes) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To Barcode of Life (8 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications) (from synonym Nucula pulchra Hinds, 1843 sensu Krauss, 1848)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (51 publications) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To Conchology (Nucula nucleus)
To Dyntaxa
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Nucula nucleus)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Nucula tumidula) (from synonym Nucula tumidula Malm, 1861 sensu Thiele, 1931)
To GenBank (44 nucleotides; 20 proteins)
To Malacopics (Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) Belgium, Antwerpen, Berchem)
To Malacopics (Nucula nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758) United Kingdom, Highland, Outer Hebrides, E of Ming...
To Marine Bivalves of the British Isles webpage at National Museum of Wales
To PESI
To PESI (from synonym Arca margaritacea Bruguière, 1789)
To PESI (from synonym Arca nucleus Linnaeus, 1758)
To PESI (from synonym Nucula nucleata Locard, 1886)
To PESI (from synonym Tellina adriatica Gmelin, 1791)
To PESI (from synonym Nucula nitida var. ventrosa Jeffreys, 1879)
To PESI (from synonym Glycimeris argentea da Costa, 1778)
To The Arctic Traits Database (14 traits)
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To ITIS
From editor or global species database
Unreviewed
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
