Muelly
Info
Macoma balthica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Macoma balthica is very common and sometimes occurs in masses. It can grow up to 3 cm in size. The flat and smooth shells are variable in color. They occur in white, pinkish, brownish, yellowish and even blue-black. The shells can be unicolored, but also multicolored and with concentric rings. The inside of the shells is usually red, to which the name "red bean" refers.
Macoma balthica lives in sandy soils and buried in silt. It breathes and feeds through its siphons. Often the siphons are eaten off by animals, but grow back after some time.
The clam can reach an age of about 7 years and has been found to depths of about 190 meters. Its range extends over the North and Baltic Seas to the Atlantic Ocean.
Synonymised names
Limecola balthica (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Limecola solidula T. Brown, 1844 · unaccepted
Loripes roseus Krynicki, 1837 · unaccepted
Macoma inconspicua (Broderip & G. B. Sowerby I, 1829) · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Tellina balthica Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (original combination)
Tellina balthica var. attenuata Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted (junior homonym of Tellina...)
Tellina balthica var. minor Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted
Tellina balthica var. nivea Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted
Tellina carnaria Linnaeus, 1758 sensu Pennant, 1777 · unaccepted (misidentification of Tellina...)
Tellina faba Spengler, 1798 · unaccepted
Tellina fabricii Hanley, 1846 · unaccepted
Tellina flavescens Spengler, 1798 · unaccepted
Tellina fragilis (O. Fabricius, 1780) · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (Invalid: junior homonym of...)
Tellina groenlandica Lyell, 1841 · unaccepted
Tellina inconspicua Broderip & G. B. Sowerby I, 1829 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina neustriaca Locard, 1886 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina rubra da Costa, 1778 · unaccepted
Tellina solidula Pulteney, 1799 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina solidula normalis Middendorff, 1851 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina zonata Gmelin, 1791, sensu Dillwyn, 1817 · unaccepted (misapplication)
Venus fragilis O. Fabricius, 1780 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Macoma balthica is very common and sometimes occurs in masses. It can grow up to 3 cm in size. The flat and smooth shells are variable in color. They occur in white, pinkish, brownish, yellowish and even blue-black. The shells can be unicolored, but also multicolored and with concentric rings. The inside of the shells is usually red, to which the name "red bean" refers.
Macoma balthica lives in sandy soils and buried in silt. It breathes and feeds through its siphons. Often the siphons are eaten off by animals, but grow back after some time.
The clam can reach an age of about 7 years and has been found to depths of about 190 meters. Its range extends over the North and Baltic Seas to the Atlantic Ocean.
Synonymised names
Limecola balthica (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Limecola solidula T. Brown, 1844 · unaccepted
Loripes roseus Krynicki, 1837 · unaccepted
Macoma inconspicua (Broderip & G. B. Sowerby I, 1829) · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Tellina balthica Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (original combination)
Tellina balthica var. attenuata Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted (junior homonym of Tellina...)
Tellina balthica var. minor Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted
Tellina balthica var. nivea Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted
Tellina carnaria Linnaeus, 1758 sensu Pennant, 1777 · unaccepted (misidentification of Tellina...)
Tellina faba Spengler, 1798 · unaccepted
Tellina fabricii Hanley, 1846 · unaccepted
Tellina flavescens Spengler, 1798 · unaccepted
Tellina fragilis (O. Fabricius, 1780) · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (Invalid: junior homonym of...)
Tellina groenlandica Lyell, 1841 · unaccepted
Tellina inconspicua Broderip & G. B. Sowerby I, 1829 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina neustriaca Locard, 1886 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina rubra da Costa, 1778 · unaccepted
Tellina solidula Pulteney, 1799 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina solidula normalis Middendorff, 1851 · unaccepted (synonym)
Tellina zonata Gmelin, 1791, sensu Dillwyn, 1817 · unaccepted (misapplication)
Venus fragilis O. Fabricius, 1780 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
