FIRST OCCURRENCE OF Sphenia fragilis (H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854) (BIVALVIA: MYIDAE) ON THE AMAZON COAST

Abstract

Sphenia fragilis is a bivalve mollusk, belonging to the family Myidae, which has a habit of digging unconsolidated or consolidated substrates. Its estimated distribution indicates the presence of the species in the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic oceans. The present study indicates the first occurrence of S. fragilis on the Amazon coast (Urindeua River, Salinópolis, State of Pará). Additionally, it presents updated data on the species biogeography on the Brazilian coast. Altogether, 309 specimens of S. fragilis were found between the years 2013 and 2016, at depths between 1 and 4 meters, always associated with the surface of oysters. Based on these occurrences, added to the records made available on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility - GBIF platforms and the speciesLink network, it indicates an expansion of the biogeography of S. fragilis on the Brazilian coast, extending between the state of Pará and Rio Grande do Sul