Description

About Cardium edule

Physical Description

Cardium edule, also know as the “common cockle” and is a small bivalve normally larger than 35 mm. The shell of the animal has distint ribs that rotate to the top. Live animals have a variaty of natural colours like browns and greens to blend into the sea floor. C. edule is a filter feeder. This Bivalve is also eaten by humans

Age and Distribution

This species is extant and can be found in European waters ranging from the North East Atlantic till West Africa. The fossilized specimens on offer are at least 120000 years old but this species is likely to go alot further back, Pliocene or even Miocene.