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Thank you for visiting Sealord photography on Smugmug.


Sealord photography focuses on three themes:


Biodiversity with an emphasis on marine life


Sustainability relating to construction & urban development; energy; food; transport; and waste.


The Guernsey community

  1. Marine life
  2. Guernsey molluscs

Guernsey bivalves

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scallop Pecten maximus eyes 35-422 smg
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scallop Pecten maximus eyes 35-422 smg

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  • Fan mussel, Atrina fragilis, from south-west coast of Guernsey
  • This fan mussel, Atrina fragilis, was caught accidentally in 54 fathoms of water off the south-east coast of Sark in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Great Britain on 30 January 2007.  It has a shell length of 23.0 cm and a maximum shell width of 12.83 cm.  The live animal was measured with the valves closed.  The thickness of the two shells or valves is 5.04 cm.  The whole animal drained of water weighs 293 grams.  Keelworms and two colonies of dead-man's fingers, Alcyonium digitatum, grow on one of the valves. It was returned to the sea alive.<br />
File No. 300107 5874<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • Scallop fisherman Stan Breban caught this fan mussel, Atrina fragilis, while dredging for scallops on the 30 January 2007.  The shell length was 23.0 cm.  The maximum shell width was 12.83 cm (measured with callipers) and the maximum thickness of both valves of the living animal was 5.04 cm.  The bivalve drained of free water weighed 293 grams.<br />
The fan mussel was caught in 54 fathoms of water somewhere south-east of Sark to the east of the Longue Bank.   Stan told me he sees about four of these fan mussels per year.  The live Atrina fragilis was returned to a net bag under the pontoon by the fish quay in St. Peter Port harbour after photography.  Later Stan returned the live bivalve mollusc to the open sea.   <br />
<br />
File No. 1-875<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • scallop Pecten maximus eyes 35-422 smg
  • The variegated scallop, Chlamys varia, lives on the side of pontoons in the Queen Elizabeth 2 marina, St. Peter Port harbour, Guernsey. <br />
Photographed on 30 August 2005,<br />
File No. 300805 36-791<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • European oyster Ostrea edulis 36-443 smg
  • cockle Cerastoderma edule Grand Havre harvest 36-401 smg
  • Guernsey fishermen catch the large norway cockle, Laevicardium crassum, occasionally in trawls.  It has a smooth shell and short siphons.  This images shows the incurrent and excurrent siphon.<br />
Photographed on 6 September 2002.<br />
File No. 23-597<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • Dosinia lupinus 29-445 smg
  • Marine gastropod shells, bivalves & foraminifera (forams) sieved from the sandy beach in Havelet Bay on Guernsey's east coast on 21 April 2003.<br />
File No. 210403 12-660<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishifo@guernsey.net
  • Guernsey commercial shellfish fisherman Clive Brown found this bivalve, Limaria hians, embedded in a lost ball of rolled up fishing net in 30 fathoms of water off St. Martins Point (which forms Guernsey's south-eastern tip.)  This species makes a nest with its byssus thread.<br />
<br />
File No. 22-882 <br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • The live turban top shell, Gibbula magus, was found on the beach in Belle Greve Bay on Guernsey's east coast on 20 March 2007.  This is the first live individual I have seen in Guernsey.  Empty turban top shells are quite common on Chouet beach in Ladies Bay on Guernsey's north coast.  The tentacles of a worm, possibly a spionid worm, may be sticking out of the top of the snail shell but I need to contact a specialist to verify this.<br />
File No. BG 200307 28-891<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • Gibbula magus cu BG 200307 29-891 smg
  • This image shows the foot of the turban top shell, Gibbula magus. I turned the snail on its side.  The animal extended its foot to quickly turn itself over.  This image clearly shows the epipodal tentacles. One eye is hidden behind the 'R' in the Sealord watermark.  Dr. Alastair Graham provides a detailed description of the animal in his book "Molluscs: Prosobranch and Pyramidellid Gastropods" published as part of the Synopses of the British Fauna.  The following attributes which he writes about can be seen in this photograph: The snout is densely papillated. The epipodal ridge has a scalloped edge. The foot is blunt anteriorly, pointed posteriorly.  Its dorsal surface carries many transverse grooves. The umbilicus (which is a deep hole in the base of the shell separate from the opening from which the animal extends from) can be seen above the 'h' in 'Photography'. The umbilicus is large and approached by a comma-shaped groove.  Dr. Graham writes that turban top shells "usually live below tidemarks, though rare specimens may be found at L.W.S.T." (low water during a spring tide). This description matches my observations.<br />
File No. BG 200307 31-891<br />
©RLLord<br />
fishinfo@guernsey.net
  • Raphitoma purpurea coralline pool BG 180407 5-899 smg
  • Ovatella myosotis BG 180407 28-899 smg
  • Calliostoma zizyphinum BG 180407 12-899 smg
  • Raphitoma purpurea coralline pool BG 180407 9-899 smg
  • Lutraria angustior siphon  BG 32-811 smg
  • Hiatella arctica in limestone 50 fathoms CB pot 34-908 smg

Sealord photography's biodiversity images began with a focus on international commercial seafood species and the marine life of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Great Britain.

Sealord photography has a growing collection of digital images covering climate change, the environment and sustainability issues.  

Sealord photography also covers the Guernsey community and particularly the fund raising activities of Guernsey charities as part of the island's social sustainability.

The fish, shellfish and marine life images would not be possible if it were not for the generosity of commercial and recreational fishermen in Guernsey, and seafood suppliers at various trade shows in the USA, and wholesalers at Fulton Fish Market in New York City.  

Many marine biologists have helped identify or confirm the identity of marine species photographed. These people have been mentioned when possible.

Please email: sealord@me.com or sustainableguernsey@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments about Sealord photography.    Thank you.  Richard Lord

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