Mactra stultorum
Common
Distributed from the Norwegian Sea to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Burrows in clean sand where it filter feeds phytoplankton
- Mactra glauca has the anterior cardinal tooth in right valve not parallel to hinge line
- 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
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.