Prickly Cockle [Acanthocardia echinata]
Description
A species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk. This species is found in and around the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic coasts of Europe and Africa, as well as the North Sea and the Irish Sea. It has a robust, globular shell covered with strong, prickly ridges. The shell color varies from pale yellow to brown. It is a filter feeder that lives buried in sandy or muddy bottoms.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Mollusks
Mollusca
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Clams, Oysters, and Scallops
Bivalvia
|
| Order |
Cockles
Cardiida
|
| Family |
Cockles
Cardiidae
|
| Genus |
Prickly Cockle
Acanthocardia
|