Two Rare Deep-Sea Bivalve Species from the Levantine Coast of Turkey: Bathyarca philippiana (Nyst, 1848) and Verticordia granulata Seguenza G., 1860

During 2 detailed surveys conducted along the Turkish coasts of the Aegean and Levantine seas in 2000 and 2005, respectively, 2 rare deep-water bivalve species, namely Bathyarca philippiana (Nyst, 1848) and Verticordia granulata Seguenza G.. 1860, were recorded. Of these, V. granulata is new for the molluscan fauna of Turkish seas while B. philippiana is first record for the Levantine coast of Turkey. According to the literature at hand. V. granulata is also a new record for the Levantine Basin. In the present work, morphological, ecological, and distributional features of these 2 species are provided.