Need ID: which Bivalve? 3

[giovanni arusha]

Hi, can anybody ID this Bivalve?
<a href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/3168151" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/3168151">http://www.badongo.com/pic/3168151</a><!-- m --></a>
I got it in Zanzibar (Tanzania): it is about 1 cm in size.
Please need Latin and English names.
Many thanks in advance,
Giovanni

[paul monfils]

Not certain, but this could be a juvenile Pinctada capensis (Sowerby, 1889)

[giovanni arusha]

Does the Pinctada capensis have also a common English name?
Please advise and many thanks in advance for your help.
Giovanni

[paul monfils]

Again, no widely used common name that I know of. But the common name derived from the Latin name would be "Cape Pearl Oyster". At least 95% of the described species of molluscs have no generally accepted common name.  The only species that typically end up with common names are those that are of particular interest to ordinary non-malacologist type folks, either as collectibles, for shellcraft, or of economic importance.  Also, keep in mind that the common names we are talking about here are just the English common names! In non-English speaking countries, collectors have their own common names for the same species, in their own language, which may or may not mean the same thing as the English common names.

[giovanni arusha]

Well Paul, indeed thank you very much for your kind help, also on other topics.
Your explanations are very clear.
Cordially,
Giovanni