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Warty venus

This bumpy shell lives up to its name and lives partly buried in the seabed along the west coast of Great Britain.

Scientific name

Venus verrucosa

When to see

January to December

Species information

Category

Statistics

Length: up to 7cm

Conservation status

Common

Habitats

About

The warty venus is a medium-sized clam-like shell, rounded and domed, and covered with bumpy, rough concentric ridges, living up to its common name. The warty venus lives on sand and gravel seabeds from the intertidal down to 100m. Reproduction takes place at the beginning of summer (May to June).

How to identify

A rough clam like shell, with deeply ridged concentric bands with warty edges. It is beigey-brown in colour with a white internal surface.

Distribution

Found on sandy and gravelly seabeds around the Shetland Isles and the West coast of the UK. Rare on the South and East coasts of England.

Did you know?

One of several clam-like shells named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love who was born of the foam from the sea and is often depicted rising from the sea in clam shells.