Brittle shell up to about 2cm in length. White or pale yellow in colour sometimes with pink or red-brown radiating rays. Inside of shell is polished and tinged with orange. Exterior of shell is sculptured with prominent concentric ridges.
Key identification features
- Lower margin of pallial sinus not confluent with pallial line
- Brittle oval shell
Similar species
- Arcopagia crassa has a much thicker shell
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows in fine sand where it feeds on organic detritus picked up through the siphon.
Distribution and status
Rare. Recorded from Britain south to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean.
The map provided here shows the distribution of the species based on Conchological Society data.
Note, MolluscaBase indicates that Arcopella balaustina (Linnaeus, 1758) is the currently accepted name for this species. Arcopagia balaustina (Linnaeus, 1758) is therefore considered a synonym at present.