Peppery furrow shell
Encyclopedia
The peppery furrow shell, Scrobicularia plana, also known as a sand gaper, is the only species currently recognized by ITIS
in the genus
Scrobicularia; however some sources recognise other species such as Scrobicularia cottardi. It is a bivalve mollusc commonly found on sandy or muddy sea coasts and estuaries
in northern Europe
, the Mediterranean and West Africa
. They may be found at quite high densities.
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 nacre
ous and white or yellowish in colour. The shell is thin but quite deep, with circular closely packed growth ridges. It is a filter feeder
, with long siphon
s, 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.
The genus Scrobicularia is sometimes placed as the sole genus in a family, Scrobicularidae. It is now often placed instead in the related family Semelidae
, as shown in the infobox. However this placement may change as molecular systematics provides new insights into the cladistics
of the bivalves.
The peppery furrow shell is not regarded as edible.
Itis
Itis may refer to* Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Scrobicularia; however some sources recognise other species such as Scrobicularia cottardi. It is a bivalve mollusc commonly found on sandy or muddy sea coasts and estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
in northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Mediterranean and West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. They may be found at quite high densities.
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 nacre
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
ous and white or yellowish in colour. The shell is thin but quite deep, with circular closely packed growth ridges. It is a filter feeder
Filter feeder
Filter feeders are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish and some sharks. Some birds,...
, with long siphon
Siphon
The word siphon is sometimes used to refer to a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. But in the English language today, the word siphon usually refers to a tube in an inverted U shape which causes a liquid to flow uphill, above the surface of the reservoir,...
s, 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.
The genus Scrobicularia is sometimes placed as the sole genus in a family, Scrobicularidae. It is now often placed instead in the related family Semelidae
Semelidae
The Semelidae are a family of clams, marine bivalve molluscs of the order Veneroida.-Characteristics:Menbers of this family have rounded or oval, elongated shells, much flattened. The two valves are connected by an internal ligament in contrast to the closely related family Tellinidae where the...
, as shown in the infobox. However this placement may change as molecular systematics provides new insights into the cladistics
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
of the bivalves.
The peppery furrow shell is not regarded as edible.
External links
- Image (may be subject to copyright)
- Movie clip of peppery furrow shell feeding
