Cerastoderma edule. Right valve, length 23.9mm. 6 or 7 annual growth lines visible. Scale-like spines on ribs partly eroded. Dee Estuary, Chesh. Oct. 2011. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 22.9mm. Hinge of right (upper image) and left valves. 2 cardinal teeth centrally in each valve. Right valve; 2 anterior and 2 posterior lateral teeth. Left valve; single anterior and posterior lateral tooth. Dee Estuary. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 22.9mm. Ribs extend inside shell to faint pallial line running parallel to margin. Adductor scar at each end of pallial line. No pallial sinus (indentation in line). Mouth of Dee Estuary, Cheshire. October 2011. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 22.9mm, height 21.7mm; marketable size in most areas of S. Britain. Slightly elongated circular outline. 24 ribs, bear many straight or slightly curved transverse scale-like spines. Mouth of Dee Estuary, Chesh. Oct. 2011 Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Ctenidium (gill) folded into 4 lamellae (layers), W in cross section. Fine mesh of fused filaments just visible if picture magnified to maximum. Used for respiration and filtering food particles. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 22.9mm. Relaxed specimen. Comb-like ctenidia (gills). Foot yellow-orange and thick when contracted within shell, white and thin when extended and pigment diffused. Mouth of Dee Estuary, Cheshire. Oct. 2011. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 22.9mm. Relaxed specimen. Foot yellow-orange and thick when contracted within shell, but white and thin when extended and pigment diffused. Flimsy mantle coats inside of valves, yellowish edge. Ctenidium to left of body. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Cerastoderma edule. Shell length 23mm. Exhalent (upper) and inhalent peach-tinted siphons at posterior. Extended foot blade-like, white tinted peach. Foot & siphons yellow-orange when contracted inside shell or cooked. Dee Estuary, Cheshire. Oct. 2011. Species Cerastoderma edule Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Section, 3.5mm long, of Doto sarsiae spawn. Laid in May at 9°C in refrigerator. Some other masses white. Parent 8.5mm long with orange viscera, from low water spring tide on Garveia nutans , Menai Strait, Wales. April 2011. Species Doto sarsiae Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith
Garveia nutans (det. B.Picton) ; prey of D. sarsiae. Stolons and distinctive orange stems < 10mm. Specimen dead; upper parts decayed Species Doto sarsiae Photographer / copyright holder I.F. Smith