Type Material: Holotype - MNHN.
Type Locality: French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands.
Original Description: "Shell up to c. 60 mm high, solid, compressed, oblong, nearly equivalve and equilateral, right valve slightly more convex than left valve, auricles short and subequal, umbonal angle c. 85°, colour creamy, maculated with reddish dots and streaks, right valve somewhat paler. Both valves radially undulated and sculptured with six prominent lirae; laterally an additional but weakly developed ridge. Interstices somewhat narrower than lirae. Secondary radial sculpture of small lirae (on right valve weaker) on the lirae and interstices, commence on the central part of the disc (c. 10 per lira) and extend to the ventral margin. Microsculpture consists of delicate and closely spaced commarginal lamellae throughout (c. 8-10 per mm in the central part). Anterior auricles very weakly sculptured with c. 10 radial riblets, posterior auricles nearly smooth. Inner surface plicated, more prominently so near periphery. Resilifer triangular. Byssal notch, fasciole and ctenolium lacking. Cardinal crura rather broad with closely and vertically set small ridges." (fide Dijkstra, 2002)
Size: Normal adult size range is 40 to 60 mm. Distribution: Reported from Eastern Indonesia (Kai Islands) and the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. Habitat: Sublittoral zone, under rocks or coral boulders, or on coral rubble.
Relevant Literature: Dijkstra, 1995a; Dijkstra & Kastoro, 1997; Dijkstra, 2002.