Invertebrates
Noble Pen Shell
Pinna nobilis · also called fan mussel
In a seagrass meadow off a Mediterranean island, a noble pen shell stands upright in the sand like a great dark fan, its narrow end buried in the seabed.
Overview
The noble pen shell, Pinna nobilis, is a Critically Endangered giant bivalve of Mediterranean seagrass meadows and sandy bottoms. Its size, silken byssus, and recent mass mortality make it one of the most striking and most threatened animals of the Mediterranean.
The shell that spun gold
For centuries the fine byssus threads of the noble pen shell were gathered and woven into sea silk, a golden fabric of such rarity that few examples survive.
Status
Critically Endangered, after a mass-mortality epidemic.
Noble Pen Shell: common questions
Why is the noble pen shell critically endangered?
Since 2016 a parasite has caused mass deaths across the Mediterranean, wiping out most populations.
What is sea silk?
It is a rare, golden fabric that was once woven from the fine byssus threads of the noble pen shell.
How big is a noble pen shell?
It can reach about a metre in length, though most are around 40 to 60 cm long.
Where is the noble pen shell found?
It lives in seagrass meadows and on sandy and muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean, in shallow water.