Common name : dog cockles or bittersweet clams

Aspect : thick shell with equal and symmetrical valves of rounded outline; brownish external surface, often with mottling on a light background; dark brown periostracum, finely hairy; hooks slightly turned towards the back, separated from the dorsal margin by a surface decorated with chevrons and covered with ligaments; arched hinge, with a series of small transverse teeth diverging outwards; Two almost equal adductor imprints

Feeding : filtration of microorganisms in suspension (phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus, and organic particles)

Environment : worldwide in tropical to temperate seas, from shallow subtidal to deep-sea environments (up to ~2,000 m); on coarse sand, shell hash, or gravel