Beheeraspecten

Beheeraspecten is a genus of extinct scallops in the family Pectinidae. The name combines the toponym Beheer (a locality where the first fossils were found) with pecten, the Latin word for scallop. It is known from fossil shells recovered from marine sedimentary rocks dating from the Late Cretaceous to the Paleogene, indicating a broad temporal range of roughly 100 to 30 million years ago. Fossils have been described from the Indo-Pacific region and the western Atlantic, though records remain fragmentary. Several species have been described within the genus.

Morphology and diagnostics. The shells are small to medium-sized, laterally compressed, with roughly circular to fan-shaped outlines. External ornamentation ranges from smooth to weakly ribbed; growth lines are clear. The hinge is simple, with a straight to slightly curved hinge line, and the beaks are near the center or anterior margin. The internal muscle scar is moderately large, suggesting typical scallop life habits.

Taxonomic notes. Beheeraspecten is distinguished from related genera by a combination of shell outline, rib pattern, and hinge characteristics, though finer distinctions rely on fossil material.

Ecology and significance. Like other pectinids, Beheeraspecten would have inhabited shallow marine environments and fed by filter feeding. Its fossils contribute to understanding the evolution and paleobiogeography of scallops in the Cretaceous–Paleogene interval.