Malleus meridianis

Malleus meridianis
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Size: 15 cm

Distribution: All SA coastal and gulf waters

Habitat: Rock walls and jetty pylons

Depth: Subtidal

This common species can be found attached to rocky reef, although it is commonly heavily encrusted and hard to spot. It has large T-shaped (or occasionally L-shaped) valves with thin and uneven edges. It can be almost impossible to distinguish from other oysters if only the end of the "T" is visible, but as this part of the shell is more elongate than most other oysters in their entirety, they are distinctive if enough of the shell is visible.