| Arca zebra | |
|---|---|
| Interior of valve | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Arcoida |
| Family: | Arcidae |
| Genus: | Arca |
| Species: | A. zebra |
| Binomial name | |
| Arca zebra (Swainson, 1833) [1] |
|
Arca zebra, or the turkey wing ark clam, is a bivalve mollusc in the family Arcidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from North Carolina to the West Indies and Bermuda.[2] It attaches itself to rocks or other hard substrates in shallow water with byssus threads.
The shell of Arca zebra is boldly striped in brown and white which gives it a resemblance to the wing of a wild turkey. It has also been likened to Noah's Ark. It is a sturdy shell growing up to 4 ins (10 cm) long and 2 ins wide. The umbones are separated by a shallow depression and the hinge is long and straight with about 50 small teeth. There is coarse sculpturing fanning out from the umbones. The inside of the shell is pale mauve.[3]