Shell · Genus
Lima
File shells
File shells (Lima and Limaria) are white, obliquely oval bivalves with fine radial ribs like a file and, in life, long red or orange tentacles; the flame scallop of the aquarium trade is Ctenoides. Shells are cheap and delicate. Fossil Lima occur from the Carboniferous and are common in the Jurassic.
| Habitat | Reef crevices and rubble, worldwide |
|---|---|
| Regions | Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Atlantic |
| Family | Limidae |
| Authority (WoRMS) | Bruguière, 1797· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Status (WoRMS) | accepted· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Extinct (WoRMS) | no· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Classification (WoRMS) | Animalia › Mollusca › Bivalvia › Limida › Limidae· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
CITES and protection
Not CITES-listed.
Care (Byne's disease)
Thin white shells; stable when dry.
Elsewhere
- WoRMS AphiaID: 138125
- Wikidata: Q11255517
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase record
- Wikipedia: Lima
- CITES Appendices
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Lima" (Shell family). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/shells/lima. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-lima,
title = {Lima},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/shells/lima}},
year = {2026},
note = {Shell family article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, worms, commons, wikidata. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.