Diodora graeca

Clung on the rocks of the Mediterranean and of Atlantic, from Africa to England, the Diodora graeca is a gastropod with flat patelliform shell, almost oval, of 25 mm with 18 mm of breadth. The opening on the back, like a keyhole, serves as water intake and to evacuate the waste of the food based on algae and debris. The sculpture is formed by a twenty main radial ribs, often alternated with secondary ones less marked, that cross with a dozen of rather high lamellar concentric cords. The colour varies from uniform greyish brown to off-white with green or reddish hues and are often present white or dark spots forming elegant zones. A simple beauty for collectors © Giuseppe Mazza