Tucetona laticostata

Tucetona laticostata, or the large dog cockle, is a salt water clam or marine bivalve mollusc in the family Glycymerididae.[1]

Tucetona laticostata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Arcida
Family: Glycymerididae
Genus: Tucetona
Species:
T. laticostata
Binomial name
Tucetona laticostata
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1835)
Synonyms

Despite the common name, it is not closely related to the common cockle. The word dog cockle implies that it roughly resembles a real cockle, but is not considered very good to eat, in other words, "only fit for dogs". Māori names include kuakua[2] and kuhakuha.[3]

Description

The almost circular shell is thick and heavy with a dentate ventral margin, the valve exterior with strong flat radial ribs crossed with fine lines that fade toward the beak. Rare specimens exceed 120 millimetres in diameter, most are from 60–80 mm. Externally off-white to yellow or dirty pink, the brown periostracum is usually worn off the top half of the shell. Internally the valves are lustrous white, often with brown or purple markings.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The large dog cockle is endemic to New Zealand, including Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. Locally common, they can be found at and just below the surface of coarse sand or fine gravel substrate down to a depth of around 100 metres. T. laticostata is silt-tolerant and can form large densely populated beds, often with Purpurocardia purpurata,[5] though some can be found as solitary individuals.

Internal view of the large dog cockle

References
  1. Powell, A.W.B (1979). New Zealand Mollusca. Marine, land and freshwater shells. Auckland: William Collins Publishers Ltd. pp. xiv + 500. ISBN 0-00-216906-1.
  2. http://www.marinelife.ac.nz/species/1049
  3. http://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=tucetona
  4. Cook, Steve De C., “New Zealand Coastal Marine Invertebrates Vol 1”, Canterbury University Press, NZ 2010, IBSN 978-1877257-60-5
  5. Cook, Steve De C., “New Zealand Coastal Marine Invertebrates Vol 1”, Canterbury University Press, NZ 2010, IBSN 978-1877257-60-5
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