Hiatella arctica

Hiatella arctica, known as the wrinkled rock-borer, the arctic hiatella or the arctic saxicave, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Hiatellidae. The white shell of this mollusc is thick and more or less rectangular, but generally irregular in shape. It is up to 45 mm long.

Hiatella arctica
One whole shell with periostracum (right) and a single larger valve (left) of Hiatella arctica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Heterodonta
Order: Adapedonta
Family: Hiatellidae
Genus: Hiatella
Species:
H. arctica
Binomial name
Hiatella arctica
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms[1]
  • Mya arctica Linnaeus, 1767
  • Saxicava arctica (Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Hiatella striata (Fleuriau, 1802)
  • Hiatella pholadis (Linnaeus, 1771)
    • and many more

Hiatella arctica is widespread and found in all the oceans, ranging from the Arctic and Antarctic to the subtropical and tropical zones. It occurs from the low water mark to depths of down to 800 m. It lives on hard substrates, often attached with byssus, for instance in mussel beds or nestling among kelp holdfasts, or hiding in rock crevices and also boring itself into soft rocks.

References

  1. Hatatella arctica (Linnaeus, 1767) WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species (2015)
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