Imperial Venus (Chione latilirata Conrad, 1841): Deeply Plowed

The surface of this shell looks like it has been contour-plowed, with deep furrows between its 5-8 broad, concentric ribs. The ribs do not narrow markedly as they near the margins of the shell. The bivalve, a hard-shelled clam, may reach a length of 1½ inches, and is cream- to grayish-white, sometimes touched with brown. It is very sturdy and only slightly inflated. Its outline is vaguely triangular. When fresh, the shell is very glossy.

This handsome shell may be found all the way from the coast of North Carolina to Texas, and also on beaches in the West Indies. The living bivalve inhabits moderately deep water, burrowing just below the surface of sand or mud.

Notes

The specimens pictured here were found at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
For more information on the Imperial Venus see:
- R. Tucker Abbott and Percy A. Morris, Peterson Field Guides: Shells of the Atlantic & Gulf Coasts & the West Indies.
Classification: Family Veneridae; Superfamily Veneroidea; Order Veneroida; Subclass Heterodonta; Class Bivalvia.
Scientific nomenclature is subject to change, due to ongoing research. The above classification corresponds to that published by the Conchologists of America, Inc.
Digital formatting is by Jonathan Mitchell.

Imperial Venus: Thick and Ridged

Notes

Imperial Venus:
Thick and Ridged