It's
easy to see where this stunning bivalve got its name from - the bright
orange tentacles emerging from the shell really do look like flames!
About
The
Flame shell is also known as a Gaping file shell - it gets this name as
the shell always remains slightly agape, showcasing its fringe of
beautiful orange tentacles. These tentacles are thick and distinctly
anemone-like, but don't be fooled - the animal inside is a mollusc. They
build themselves a nest to hide in, created using sticky byssus threads
and bits of gravel and shell debris. This helps hide the Flame shell
from hungry predators. Over time, many nests together start to create a
Flame shell bed (also known as a File shell bed) - this creates a
habitat for hundreds of other species, including seaweeds and other
invertebrates.How to identify
Often
called Britain's most beautiful bivalve, the Flame shell is
unmistakeable. The rough shell is brownish white, but most distinctive
are the bright orange tentacles that grow out of the mollusc's mantle -
always visible, even when the valves are pulled together. The shell is
always slightly agape.Distribution
Along
the west coast of Scotland, predominantly in Sea Lochs. Individuals are
sparsely found on the west coast of Wales, off the Isle of Man and off
Plymouth Sound.Did you know?
A bed of 100 million Flame
shells was found in Loch Alsh in Scotland in 2012, covering an area of
75 hectares! It is probably the largest Flame shell bed in the world and
is now designated as a Marine Protected Area.
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