Brittle, glossy shell up to about 5cm in length. It is cream in colour with a purple tint and brown radiating rays. The inside is white or purple. The pallial sinus is relatively deep.
Key identification features
- Anterior cardinal tooth of the right valve is almost parallel to the hinge line
- Thin septum separates the two parts of the ligament
- Lateral teeth are not serrated
Similar species
- Mactra glauca has the anterior cardinal tooth in right valve not parallel to hinge line
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows in clean sand where it filter feeds phytoplankton
Distribution and status
Common
Distributed from the Norwegian Sea to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas.