An image archive for LIFE Pinna
The naturalist photographer Marco Colombo has documented some aspects of the natural history of Pinna nobilis. The large bivalve mollusk, protagonist of the LIFE Pinna project, is portrayed in different underwater contexts, often together with other organisms with which it has developed complex relationships.
The images are owned by Marco Colombo and Triton Research and can only be used for the promotion of the LIFE Pinna project.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_1
A noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) visited by some labrids, colorful fishes of the Mediterranean seabed, that also feed on the organisms that cover the shell of the mollusk.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_2
The noble pen shells (Pinna nobilis) rise up to one meter from the seabed and, when they are present, they are easily spotted by those who dive.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_3
A noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) surrounded by Posidonia oceanica, a marine plant often associated with the large mollusk.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_4
A young noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) near a wreck on a shallow seabed, covered by seagrass.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_5
A large noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), whose shell is completely covered with marine organisms, including orange sponges and spirographs.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_6
With the epidemic that has hit the noble pen shell populations (Pinna nobilis), large concentrations of molluscs, as in this photo, are increasingly rare.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_7
Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is one of the most important species of the large Posidonia oceanica grasslands, a marine plant typical of the Mediterranean.
Pinna_nobilis @ M_Colombo_8
A noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) covered with sponges on a shallow seabed. Such large individuals may be over ten years of age.
Pontonia_pinnophylax @ M_Colombo_1
The noble pen shell shrimp (Pontonia pinnophylax) an extraordinary crustacean, about 4 cm long, which can live inside the largest fins, feeding on food particles collected by the mollusk. It is a great example of the complex relationships that Pinna nobilis has developed with different marine organisms.
Pontonia_pinnophylax @ M_Colombo_2
The noble pen shell shrimp (Pontonia pinnophylax) an extraordinary crustacean, about 4 cm long, which can live inside the largest fins, feeding on food particles collected by the mollusk. It is a great example of the complex relationships that Pinna nobilis has developed with different marine organisms.
Photos – Marco Colombo/Triton