Fragile shell up to 2cm in length. The beaks are a short distance from the anterior end of the shell. It is yellow tinged with purple on the outside and pale purple on the inside. The surface is sculptured with fine concentric lines.
Key identification features
- Series of round teeth on the hinge creating a small crenulated area
- Periostracum has spines which are not serrated
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows creating a nest of byssus threads which tangle gravel and other detritus. Filter feeds phytoplanton.
Distribution and status
CommonDistributed from the Baltic south to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas.