Mirapecten cranmerorum is a gorgeous pectinid endemic to waters eastern Somalia. A greatly coveted rarity and collector's item, much of its apparent scarcity now is due to its limited distribution in the Somali waters where piracy is a real threat. Once ago it was only uncomm.on and much less costly to obtain, when occasional supplies brought considerable numbers to Europe. Sparse scales are present only on the left valve, which is usually darker coloured and slightly more convex compared to the right valve. The colouration varies slightly from orange to red and the patterning differs among individual specimens. A filter-feeding bivalve, it inhabits hard bottoms on moderately deep waters around -80~200m. Typical shell length around 60mm., very large specimens may exceed 80mm. A new genus, Somalipecten, was proposed for it as part of the original description but this is now considered to be a junior synonym of Mirapecten.