Stormy winter seas make for good beachcombing and while walking a strandline you might meet a member of the oldest species on Earth. This curious creature has an even more curious name: the ocean quahog, Arctica islandica. At first sight, though, it’s just a fairly plain, quite large and rounded clam. As with all clams, its shell is made up of two hinged parts called valves that protect the soft body parts inside. When fresh and alive, the ocean quahog is covered in a dark, skin-like layer called the periostracum, so it’s also known as a black or mahogany clam.
Older ocean quahogs can be over 5cm thick and 13cm long. Empty shells washed up on the shore are probably the closest most of us will get to seeing one, as the living animals bury themselves in sediment 4-500m underwater.
This story is from the November 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Giant panda
Cuddly-looking with highly distinctive black-and-white fur and dark ‘spectacles’, the giant panda – often referred to simply as the panda – is an undeniably popular and much-loved bear, both the national animal of China and, of course, the iconic logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
CRUISE CONTROL
As more people are drawn to experience the frozen frontiers, can tourism to the seventh continent be a good thing for nature?
COWS COME HOME
Tauros are the closest thing to the extinct aurochs. And they are coming to the UK.
BIG LITTLE JOURNEYS
A closer look at the smallbut-mighty animals that must travel vast distances to survive
MOUNTAIN MISSION
Canada lynx and wolverines are secretive creatures, but dedicated scientists in Montana are tracking them to inform conservation
LET'S GET TOGETHER - ROOSTING PIED WAGTAILS
Remember to look up this Christmas to enjoy gangs of pied wags' gathered in the trees
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER
Lucy Cooke explains why the females of this Christmas icon have antlers too
Ancient woodland still at risk from HS2
Scrapping the northern phase has spared some sites, but woodlands and reserves remain under threat
Ocean superheroes
Release of 10.000 oysters in North East England promises to improve water quality and marine life
MEET THE VOLUNTEER - Keith Dobell
The retiree cares for a park, an old railway track and a wood in his home county of Northamptonshire