Tucetona laticostata

Taxobox
name = "Tucetona laticostata"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Bivalvia
subclassis = Pteriomorpha
ordo = Arcoida
superfamilia =
familia = Glycymerididae
genus = "Tucetona"
species = "T. laticostata"
binomial = "Tucetona laticostata"
binomial_authority = (Quoy and Gaimard, 1835)
synonyms = "Glycymeris laticostata" Quoy and Gaimard, 1835
"Pectunculus laticostata" Quoy and Gaimard, 1835

"Tucetona laticostata", or the large dog cockle, is a salt water clam or marine bivalve mollusc in the family Glycymerididae.

Despite the common name, it is not closely related to the common cockle. The word dog cockle implies that it roughly resembles a real cockle, but is not considered very good to eat, in other words, "only fit for dogs".

Distribution

The large dog cockle is endemic to New Zealand.

Habitat

The large dog cockle is found half buried in gravel or coarse sand in clean-swept channels at depths of about 5 to 75 m.

Description

The shell is very large, thick and massive, circular with numerous strong rounded radial ribs. The hinge is distinctive, with about six teeth on each side, either straight, horizontal, or chevroned. The edge of the shell is strongly dentate.

Coloration is yellowish to rusty-brown externally, with irregular reddish-brown radial streaks. Internally it is porcellanous-white.

The shell height is up to 118 mm, width up to 103 mm, and thickness up to 73 mm.

References

* Powell A. W. B., William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1