Bivalvia | 
Arcida | 
Arcidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; depth range 0 - 75 m (Ref. 104365).  Tropical; 70°N -   34°S, 98°W -   34°W			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Western Atlantic.  Tropical to polar climates of northern hemisphere.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cmCommon length : 9.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 344)			
			
			
							
				
				
					
						Shell heavy, sturdy, inequivalve, with one valve slightly larger than the other.  Anterior end short and rounded, posterior end longer and angled.  Hinge straight.  Sculpture of 25 to 27 radial ribs crossed by fine concentric lines prominent between ribs.  Ribs never bifurcated.  Umbones prominent, ligamental area large, hinge long, straight.  Periostracum heavy.  Colour:  white; periostracum brown.  It is consumed locally in soups amd chowders (Ref. 271).					
				
				
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Assumed total length is 9 cm (Ref. 344). Epibiotic (Ref. 104365).  Found in soft bottoms (mud or sand), sometimes on seagrass environment at shallow intertidal depths (Ref. 271).  Commensal with amphipods (Ref. 82302).				
			
			
			
			
			
				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.				
			
			
			
			
			
				Leal, J.H. 2003 Bivalves. p. 25-98. In Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1: Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. 1600p. (Ref. 344)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
							
			
			
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					More information				
				
					 Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)Diet compositionFood consumptionPredators   Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
  Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  				 
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 22.9 - 28, mean 26.1 (based on 372 cells).