The Laevicardium species (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Cardiidae) in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: an ongoing story of taxonomic confusion, pp. 1-38, pls I-XXIX, by Frank Nolf & Steve Hubrecht

Keywords: Mollusca, Gastropoda, CARDIIDAE, Laevicardium, Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Atlantic, geographic distribution.

Abstract: The authors aim to demonstrate, using new evidence, that it is not possible to differentiate between the various species of Laevicardium in the Mediterranean Sea and the East Atlantic based mainly on geographic distribution. Several of the previously recognised species appear to have a much broader distribution than was originally believed. It should be noted that some of the critical observations presented here do not align with the conclusions of authors in recently published studies (e.g. Vidal, 2005; ter Poorten, 2024). This paper underscores the necessity of employing a combination of morphological characteristics and DNA-based research to accurately distinguish between the different species of Laevicardium.