Brittle shell up to 4cm in length. It is light yellow in colour with red or purple streaks of zig-zags. Juveniles may be almost completely red. The inside is pearl white. Sculpture?
Key identification features
- Light yellow shell with red rays or streaks
- The periostracum is smooth; it does not possess spines
Similar species
- Modiolus barbatus has serrated spines on the periostracum
Ecology and behaviour
Lives within a byssal net on gravel or sandy mud where it filter feeds.
Distribution and status
Rare
Distributed from the Baltic Sea to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas