Donax variabilis
| Donax variabilis | |
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| Donax variabilis shells showing some color variation | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Veneroida |
| Family: | Donacidae |
| Genus: | Donax |
| Species: | D. variabilis |
| Binomial name | |
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Donax variabilis Say, 1822 |
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Donax variabilis, known by the common name "coquina", "digger boy", or as a "periwinkle" colloquially in the Gulf Coast region, is a species of small edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Donacidae, the bean clams. It is a warm water species which occurs in shallow water on sandy beaches of the East Coast of the USA.
This species occurs on the east coast of the United States, from North Carolina to Florida including East Florida, West Florida and the Florida Keys.
The maximum reported size is 19 mm. The exterior of the small shell of this species can have any one of a wide range of possible colors, from almost white, through yellow, pink, orange, red, purple, to brownish and blueish, with or without the presence of darker rays.
This species lives from the intertidal zone of sandy beaches to a depth of 11 m.
The coquina is edible, and is used to make broth. Some people collect the colorful shells to use for crafts.
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Wikipedia