Identify Shells (Bivalves)

Scallop

The scallop has a ribbed, fan-shaped shell.

💡 Did you know? It is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago.

Oyster

The oyster has a rough, irregular shell and lives cemented in place.

💡 Did you know? A pearl can form inside it.

Mussel

The mussel has a smooth, blue-black, elongated shell.

💡 Did you know? It anchors to rocks with fine threads.

Cockle

The cockle is rounded and strongly ribbed; from the side it looks heart-shaped.

💡 Did you know? It burrows into the sand of tidal flats.

Venus clam

The Venus clam has a solid, often finely patterned, heart-shaped shell.

💡 Did you know? Many species are popular edible clams.

Razor clam

The razor clam has a long, narrow shell like a straight razor.

💡 Did you know? It can dig into the sand astonishingly fast.

Soft-shell clam

The soft-shell clam sits deep in tidal mud and always gapes open a little at one end.

💡 Did you know? It breathes and feeds from above through a long siphon.

Pen shell

The pen shell is one of the largest bivalves and stands upright, fan-shaped, in the seabed.

💡 Did you know? Its anchoring threads were once woven into precious ‘sea silk’.

Giant clam

The giant clam is the largest living bivalve and can grow over a metre wide.

💡 Did you know? Algae live in its mantle and help feed it.

Carpet shell

The carpet shell has a solid, lattice-patterned shell.

💡 Did you know? In southern Europe it is a popular edible clam (vongole).

Trough shell

The trough shell has a smooth, triangular-oval shell and lives in coastal sand.

💡 Did you know? After storms its shells often litter the beach in masses.

Pearl oyster

The pearl oyster forms shimmering nacre inside and can grow real pearls.

💡 Did you know? Most cultured pearls come from Pinctada species.

Ark clam

The ark clam has a box-shaped shell with a long, straight hinge.

💡 Did you know? Its name alludes to the shape of Noah's ark.

Freshwater pearl mussel

The freshwater pearl mussel lives in clean, cold rivers and can live over 100 years.

💡 Did you know? It is strictly protected and has become extremely rare.