Lambis robusta Swainson, 1821 A Polynesian Endemic species

Author : Touitou David, 2004

French Polynesia offers some endemic species to collectors, but they are mainly concentrated in the Marquesas Islands. However, some endemics are not restricted to these Islands. This is the case of our very nice Lambis robusta, Swainson, 1821. This species is found usually outside the reef on the external slope. The average deaph of its habitat may vary from 10 to 25 meters. It is usually found among dead coral fragments and can be difficult to spot. When the shell is cleaned (which may take sometime), a real beauty appears with overall dorsum color is pink to light orange-brown. The "fingers" are dark brown to black colored. The mouth is a mix of black orange and white colors. This species remains uncommon and one must pay a lot of attention to spot this wonderful species. Here are pictures or four specimens I collected at Moorea Island.

Lambis robusta, Moorea Island (Outer slope)