Solid shell up to about 10cm in length. Dirty white, light brown or light gray in colour. Scupture of concentric lines sometimes raised to ridges (less obvious in adults).
- Inner margin of shell crenulate
- Roughened area on hinge line below ligament
Shallow burrower in mud and sand containing stones and shells. The species has been part accidentally / part deliberately introduced to Britain. It originates from North America where it is harvested in some places. Attempts have been made to test its viability at various locations around Britain but in addition to this there may well also have been accidental introductions through ships ballast or the kitchens of liners.
Non-native. Has been successfully introduced in France and has also been recorded in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Mercenaria mercenaria
The map provided here shows the distribution of the species based on Conchological Society data held by the National Biodiversity Network (NBN). See terms and conditions.
The following datasets are included:
- Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland: marine mollusc records
Open an NBN Atlas interactive map of this data in a new window.
Taxon details available from MolluscaBase (AphiaID 141919):
Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
For the species account provided by Marine Bivalves of the British Isles click here.
The UK NBN Atlas entry for the species can be accessed via this link.
Heppell, D. (1960). The naturalization in Europe of the quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758). Journal of Conchology, 25(1), 21 – 34p. Available via this link.