Other Names

• Piddocks

General Description

Shell white, oval-shaped like "angel wings". Live animal inside is larger than the shell. Curved growth lines around the shell form sharp ridges that have teeth. Shell up to 7 cm long.

Biology

Angel Wings burrow into the sea floor by using their shell to scrape away the hardened mud and soft stone. They are related to another bivalve known as a ship worm that burrow into wood.

Habitat

Hard mud or soft stone sea floors.

Soft substrates

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Sea snails and shells › Bivalves

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

7 cm

Diet

Plankton or Particles

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Not listed