coquina clam

mollusk
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Donax, donax clam

coquina clam, any bivalve mollusk of the genus Donax. These marine invertebrates inhabit sandy beaches along coasts worldwide. A typical species, Donax variabilis, measures only about 10 to 25 mm (0.4 to 1 inch) in length. Its shell is wedge-shaped and varies widely in colour from white, yellow, and pink to blue and mauve. Coquina clams are very active; they migrate up and down wave-washed beaches with the tide and can reburrow between each wave. They have short siphons and feed on suspended plant material and detritus. Coquina clams are edible and are used in broths and chowder. The word coquina is a geologic term of Spanish origin for a limestone composed chiefly of shells. Deposits of such limestone containing abundant D. variabilis shells are found in Florida.

  翻译: