For the past couple of weeks, I have been introducing different species of the family Veneridae, the Venus Clams. The Lightning Pitar, Pitar fulminatus (Menke, 1828), is one of the less common species of that family, only occasionally found on the beaches of Southwest Florida. The shell in this species has a typical "clam shape," and measures up to about 20 mm (about 3/4 inch). It displays a characteristic color pattern of a white background with light-brown tent-like markings that, when grouped together, resemble lightning strikes.
The Lightning pitar, Pitar fulminatus, from Sanibel Island.