periska

Noble pen shell The noble pen shell lives on sandy bottom of shallow coastal front. The pointy part of the shell is buried in sediment at depths of 2-30 m. It is particularly abundant in seagrass meadows, but its population density is rarely more than one specimen per 10 m2 of the seabed . Shells, especially older individuals, are overgrown with algae, sponges, tube-worms, mosses and other small sessile animals. In the shell a very small cancer can be found living like a watchdog who warnes of the coming danger stimulating it to close its shell. Sometimes, there can be found pearls of irregular shape inside the shell. It is endemic species, widespread throughout the Adriatic. This is the largest species of shellfish in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea and is highly prized and sought after as a souvenir ornament. Due to the overfishing in many tourist areas its populations are completely destroyed. Therefore the pen shell is since 1994 protected by law and collecting, harvesting and trading with this kind is strictly prohibited.

Periska Plemenita periska (lostura) živi na pjeskovitom dnu plitkih priobalnih područja prednjim, šiljastim dijelom ljušture zakopana u sediment, na dubinama od 2 do 30 m. Posebno je značajna u livadama morskih cvjetnica, ali je gustoća njezinog naselja rijetko veća od jednog primjerka na 10 m2 površine morskog dna. Ljušture, naročito starijih primjeraka, redovito su bogato obrasle algama, spužvama, cjevašima, mahovnjacima i drugim manjim sjedilačkim životinjama. U periski vrlo često živi mali rak čuvarkuća koji je upozorava na dolazeću opasnost i podražava ju da zatvori svoje ljušture. Unutar ljuštura se ponekad mogu naći biseri nepravilnog oblika. Sredozemni endem i rasprostranjena je u čitavom Jadranu. Ova je vrsta najveći školjkaš u Sredozemnom i Jadranskom moru te je vrlo cijenjeni ukras i traženi suvenir. Populacije periske, zbog prekomjernog izlovljavanja, u mnogim su turističkim područjima potpuno uništene. Stoga je periska od 1994. godine zakonom zaštićena te je sakupljanje, izlov i trgovina ovom vrstom strogo zabranjena.

Benthos