(Müller, 1776)

Description:
A small, solid shell with well developed concentric ridges crossed by radial ribs. The reticulate sculpture is especially distinct on the posterior part of the shell. The umbos are close to each other and the cardinal area is small.

Size:
Up to 1.6 cm.

Colour:
Red-brown. The shell is sometimes covered with a yellow periostracum.

Habitat:
Lives fixed with its byssus to hard substrates. From low tide level down to 4000 m.

Distribution:
All West European coasts. Further reported from the Mediterranean and northern Spain south to Angola (Distr. A. nodulosa).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Subclass Pteromorphia
Order Arcoida
Family Arcidae
Genus Arca
Species Arca nodulosa

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Arca nodulosa (Müller, 1776)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Barbatia nodulosa (O. F. Muller, 1766)

Sars, G.O., 1878. Bidrag til Kundskaben om Norges Arktiske Fauna. I. Mollusca Regionis Arcticae Norvegiae. Oversigt over de i Norges Arktiske Region forekommende Bløddyr. Christiania Universitets program. 466 pp.

Seaward, D.R., 1990. Distribution of the marine molluscs of north west Europe. Nature Conservancy Council.

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