Banded Carpet Shell - Tapes rhomboides

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Bivalvia

Order: Veneroida

Family: Veneridae

Scientific name: Tapes rhomboides

Norwegian: venusskjell

Distribution: You may find this mussel along the Norwegian coast, as far north as Troms. It lives buried or partly buried in firm sand, usually on depths between 3 and 50 meters. Individuals have been registered as deep as 180 meters. The banded carpet shell prefers a relative high salinity.

Characteristics: The shell may reach a diameter of 6-7 cm and has numerous fine concentric ridges. It can be difficult to distinguish the different members of this family solely from pictures. The shell is usually pale beige with light brown bands radiating from the top of the shell. The interior is white, often with a pink tint.

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