Limaria hians
Distribution and status
LocalDistributed from the Lofoten Islands to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean.
Ecology and behaviour
This species prefers bottoms of coarse sand or gravel. The orange tentacles cannot be withdrawn potentially making it quite vulnerable to predation and as a result it often lives in a 'nest'. Thiscan be up to 25cm across and is knitted together using byssus threads. Filter feeds?
Key identification features
- Fifty or more radiating ribs
- There is a prominent gape at the sides of the valves
- The shell is not symmetrical around the beak
Taxon version key
[NBNSYS0000176146]
Sort order
9460
Taxonomic group
Marine bivalve
Thin but solid shell up to 2.5cm in length. It is white to brown in colour tending to be lighter when younger. The surface is sculptured with radiating ribs and concentric lines. When alive it has prominent orange tentacles.