coquina clam

coquina clam

      any bivalve mollusk of the genus Donax. These marine invertebrates inhabit sandy beaches along coasts worldwide. A typical species, Donax variabilis, measures only about 10 to 25 mm (0.4 to 1 inch) in length. Its shell is wedge-shaped and varies widely in colour from white, yellow, and pink to blue and mauve. Coquina clams are very active; they migrate up and down wave-washed beaches with the tide and can reburrow between each wave. They have short siphons and feed on suspended plant material and detritus. Coquina clams are edible and are used in broths and chowder. The word coquina is a geologic term of Spanish origin for a limestone composed chiefly of shells. Deposits of such limestone containing abundant D. variabilis shells are found in Florida.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • coquina (clam) — Any clam of the genus Donax, inhabiting sandy beaches worldwide. Coquinas are very active; they migrate up and down beaches with the tide and can reburrow between waves. They have short siphons and feed on suspended plant material and detritus. A …   Universalium

  • clam — clam1 clamlike, adj. clammer, n. /klam/, n., v., clammed, clamming. n. 1. any of various bivalve mollusks, esp. certain edible species. Cf. quahog, soft shell clam. 2. Informal. a secretive or silent person. 3 …   Universalium

  • Coquina — For the variety of clam, see Donax . Coquina outcropping on the beach at Washington Oaks State Gardens, Florida Coquina ( …   Wikipedia

  • coquina — /koh kee neuh/, n. 1. Also called pompano, butterfly shell clam. a small clam, Donax variabilis, abundant in the intertidal zone of eastern and southern U.S. coastal beaches, having fanlike bands of various hues, the paired empty shells often… …   Universalium

  • coquina — co•qui•na [[t]koʊˈki nə[/t]] n. pl. nas 1) ivt Also called butterfly shell a small clam, Donax variabilis having fanlike bands of various hues and common in intertidal zones of the E and S U.S. coasts: the paired empty shells often spread in a… …   From formal English to slang

  • coquina — noun Etymology: Spanish, probably diminutive of coca head, alteration of coco bogeyman, coconut Date: 1837 1. a soft whitish limestone formed of broken shells and corals cemented together and used for building 2. a small wedge …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • coquina — n. soft whitish stone that resembles a coral which is formed of fragments of shells and corals (used as building material); pompano, small clam common on the intertidal region of eastern and southern USA …   English contemporary dictionary

  • butterfly-shell clam — /but euhr fluy shel / coquina. * * * …   Universalium

  • pompano clam — noun also pompano shell : a bivalve of the genus Donax : coquina …   Useful english dictionary

  • butterfly-shell clam — /but euhr fluy shel / coquina …   Useful english dictionary

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