Plain tellin • Tellina modesta
Shell specimen from the bivalve collection at the Hakai Institute's Calvert Island field station. Photographed by Kelly Fretwell.
Identification
This clam has a somewhat flattened shell that is oval but with differently-shaped ends (one narrower than the other). Both the exterior and interior are shiny and white. Thin concentric grooves mark the front two thirds of the shell, while the other third is smooth. A thick rub runs along the interior of both shell valves. The shell gets to 2.5 cm long.
Habitat & Range
This clam buries in sandy sediments from the intertidal to 100 m deep. Its range extends from central Alaska to northern Mexico.
Similar Species
Other tellin species may appear similar. The bodega tellin (Tellina bodegensis) can be twice the size of the plain tellin, and lacks the thick interior ridge.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/339136-Tellina-modesta
This clam has a somewhat flattened shell that is oval but with differently-shaped ends (one narrower than the other). Both the exterior and interior are shiny and white. Thin concentric grooves mark the front two thirds of the shell, while the other third is smooth. A thick rub runs along the interior of both shell valves. The shell gets to 2.5 cm long.
Habitat & Range
This clam buries in sandy sediments from the intertidal to 100 m deep. Its range extends from central Alaska to northern Mexico.
Similar Species
Other tellin species may appear similar. The bodega tellin (Tellina bodegensis) can be twice the size of the plain tellin, and lacks the thick interior ridge.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/339136-Tellina-modesta
References
Cowles, D. (2005). Tellina (Angulus) modesta (Carptenter, 1864). Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Accessed 19/09/2017.
Harbo, R. M. (1997) Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing. P. 156.
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell (2017).
Cowles, D. (2005). Tellina (Angulus) modesta (Carptenter, 1864). Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Accessed 19/09/2017.
Harbo, R. M. (1997) Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing. P. 156.
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell (2017).