Donax
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| Donax | ||||||||||||
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 Donax variabilis
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D. carinatus |
Donax is a genus of small, edible saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks. The genus is sometimes known as "bean clams"; however, Donax species have various different common names in different parts of the world.
Species of Donax live, sometimes in high concentrations, vertically aligned in the sand on exposed beaches, on tropical and temperate coasts worldwide. When the waves wash these small clams out of the sand, they can dig back in again quite rapidly.
They are filter feeders. Some species, such as Donax variabilis, migrate vertically and horizontally with changes in the tides.
[edit] Species within the genus Donax
- Donax variabilis, known in Florida as the "coquina", is the common and colorful Donax species of the southern Atlantic and Gulf shores of the United States. This species is locally abundant on beaches with fine sand from the mid-Atlantic coast to Texas, and likely beyond.
Donax fossor used to be thought to be simply a northern form of D. variabilis, but it now seems to be the case that the Donax found in the most northerly part of the range, including the outer shores of Long Island, New York, is in fact not a paler northern version of D. variabilis, but a different species, D. fossor.
The empty small (15-25mm) shells of Donax variabilis and Donax fossor may be found washed up on the beach, especially at low tide. The living animals can often be seen where the waves wash the sand around in the most shallow part of the littoral zone as the tidal level changes. These clams can use the action of waves to move themselves up and down the beach, quickly burrowing into a new location before they can be swept away (the so-called "dance of the coquina").
- Donax deltoides is found on the eastern coast of Australia.
- Donax trunculus, locally known as tellin, or telline in French, is found in the Camargue area of France.
- Donax gouldii, the bean clam, is found on the Pacific coast of North America. This species, known for periodic population explosions, was eaten by Native Americans in southern California, particularly the Luiseno and Kumeyaay Indians of San Diego County.
[edit] External links
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