Bivalvia |
Arcida |
Arcidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; depth range 0 - 20 m. Tropical, preferred 18°C (Ref. 107945)
Western Pacific. Introduced in the Black Sea.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 6.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 348); common length : 4.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 348)
Shell thick and solid, inflated, inequilateral, somewhat transversally elongate in shape and with height greater than inflation, roughly quadrate to trapezoidal in outline; slightly inequivalve, left valve slightly overlapping right valve along posteroventral margin. Anterior margin rounded, ventral margin widely convex and meeting the oblique posterior margin at a blunt angle. Umbones moderately prominent, situated well anterior to midline valves. Posterodorsal slope flattened to slightly concave toward posterior end of dorsal margin, set off by a broad rounded ridge radiating from the umbones to posteroventral end of shell. Cardinal area rather narrow and elongated. About 28 radial ribs (26 to 30) at each valve, as wide as the interstices, mainly granulated on left valve. Periostracum well developed, concentrically striated, scaly to spiky in the interstices of ribs. Internal margins with strong crenulations corresponding with the external radial ribbing. No byssal gape. Colour: outside of shell white, frequently tinged deep bluish green posteriorly; periostracum dark greyish brown. Interior whitish.
Filter feeder (Ref. 128255). On sand and mud bottoms. Littoral and sublittoral to depth of about 20 m.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Bivalvia are mostly gonochoric, some are protandric hermaphrodites. Life cycle: Embryos develop into free-swimming trocophore larvae, succeeded by the bivalve veliger, resembling a miniature clam.
Poutiers, J.M. 1998 Bivalves. Acephala, Lamellibranchia, Pelecypoda. p. 123-362. In Carpenter, K. E. and V. H. Niem. 1998. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves, and gastropods. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 348)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Fisheries: landings | FishSource | Sea Around Us
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 17.6 - 29.2, mean 28.3 (based on 1849 cells).
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.37).
Fishing Vulnerability
Low to moderate vulnerability (29 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability
Very high vulnerability (78 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.
Nutrients : Calcium = 149 [71, 228] mg/100g; Iron = 8.53 [1.95, 15.11] mg/100g; Protein = 9.88 [8.64, 11.12] %; Omega3 = 0.313 [0.202, 0.423] g/100g; Selenium = 61 [50, 72] μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 μg/100g; Zinc = 2.04 [0.56, 3.51] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.
