Thick solid shell up to about 4.5cm in length. The outside is dirty white in colour and the inside white. The pallial sinus reaches to the posterior end of the chondrophore. The surface is sculptured with concentric grooves but it still appears smooth.
Key identification features
- 'V' shaped projection reaches no more than half way down the hinge plate (left valve)
- Lateral teeth serrated
Similar species
- Spisula elliptica has a 'V' shaped projection in the left valve that extends more than half way down the hinge plate
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows in sandy bottoms, sometimes in large numbers. Feeds by filtering phytoplankton.
Distribution and status
Common
Distributed from Norway to the Iberian Peninsula