Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Grooved carpet shell
Ruditapes decussatus
photo by Coudre, Christian

Family:  Veneridae (venus clams)
Max. size:  8 cm SHL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthic; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean: from Norway to United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal, including the Mediterranean, from Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. Introduced in Azores Islands. Temperate to tropical.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Found in sheltered bays, estuaries and lagoons (Ref. 106936). Tends to bury itself in sand, muddy gravel, clay (Ref. 78574) or silty mud (Ref. 107087) and is found on the lower shore and shallow sublittoral (Ref. 78574). Feeds on phytoplankton and detritus (Ref. 107087).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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