Scrobicularia plana

Scrobicularia plana

Peppery furrow shell

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SPECIES
Scrobicularia plana

Scrobicularia plana, the peppery furrow shell, is a bivalve mollusc belonging to the family Semelidae.

Appearance

The shell can be anything from white through yellowish to a pale brownish-grey in colour, up to 6.5 cm in diameter. Its interior is nacreous and white or yellowish in colour. The shell is thin but quite deep, with circular closely packed growth ridges.

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It is a filter feeder, with long siphons, burying itself up to 20 cm deep in sand or mud. When buried, it leaves star-shaped markings on the surface, and specimens can be found by looking for these. If the siphons are browsed by fish or other predators, they regenerate in a few days.

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Distribution

Geography

This species is commonly found at quite high densities on sandy or muddy sea coasts and estuaries in northern Europe, the Mediterranean and West Africa.

Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Scrobicularia plana Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrobicularia_plana

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