Petricolaria pholadiformis, common names false angelwing, or false angel wing (US), and American piddock (UK), is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams.
| False angelwing | |
|---|---|
| |
| Paired valves of Petricolaria pholadiformis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Venerida |
| Superfamily: | Veneroidea |
| Family: | Veneridae |
| Genus: | Petricolaria |
| Species: | P. pholadiformis
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| Binomial name | |
| Petricolaria pholadiformis (Lamarck, 1818)
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| Synonyms | |
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Petricola pholadifomis Lamarck, 1818 | |
Description
editPetricolaria pholadiformis closely resembles the angel wing (Cyrtopleura costata), the main distinguishing feature being that it lacks the apophyses, the spoon-shaped wings located near the beak, of the real angel wing. It grows to about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long and is usually white. The anterior end is extended and has a rounded point while the posterior end is blunt and curved. There are ridges radiating from the beak, which are more pronounced at the posterior end, and fainter growth rings running parallel with the margin.[1]
Right and left valve of the same specimen:
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Right valve -
Left valve
Taxonomy
editPetricolaria pholadiformis was formerly classified under genus Petricola as Petricola pholadiformis but has since been reclassified under genus Petricolaria.[2]
Distribution
editIndigenous
editThis species is native to the Eastern Coast of North America including the Gulf of Mexico.[1]
Introduced
editThis clam was introduced and has become established in the British Isles and on the West Coast of North America.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b False Angel Wing: A Piddock for Your Thoughts Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ "WoRMS – World Register of Marine Species – Petricola pholadiformis Lamarck, 1818". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ False Angelwing: Petricolaria pholadiformis Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine Elkhorn Slough Research. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Petricolaria pholadiformis Archived 6 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Marlin. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
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