Spondylus darwini Jousseaume, 1882

This gallery shows thirteen specimens of the elusive Red Sea endemic Spondylus darwini. The shells were enountered in a shipwreck off Hurghada Harbour in Egypt, at 30 m depth. All had died of an unknown cause a few weeks before they were recovered from the rusty walls in chambers deep inside the wreck. They measure 90 to 140 mm.
The living specimens shown at the bottom were observed in the same wreck (photos by Sven Kahlbrock).