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Biodiversity & Conservation
| General Information | Taxonomy and identification | General biology | Habitat preferences and distribution | Reproduction and longevity | Sensitivity | Importance |
Fan mussel - Atrina fragilis - General information
Image Sue Scott - Adult Atrina fragilis embedded in sea bed. Image width ca 150 cm in foreground.
Image copyright information
Atrina fragilis recorded (
) and expected (
) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)
Have you seen Atrina fragilis?
If so please submit your record.
General information
 Researched by: |
Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters and Catherine Wilding |  Refereed by: |
Dr Dan Minchin |
|---|
Taxonomy
| Phylum | Mollusca | Snails, slugs, mussels, cockles, clams & squid |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Bivalvia | Clams, cockles, mussels, oysters, and scallops |
 Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland |
Predominantly southern and western shores of the UK from North Scotland down to Mauritania, including the Iberian Peninsula, the Mediterranean and the Channel Isles (see distribution- additional information). Recorded at Milford Haven. |
|---|---|
 Habitat information |
Lives embedded in lower intertidal and subtidal muds, sandy muds or gravels. |
 Description |
Large (30-48 cm long) triangular, thin, shell tapering to a point, light yellow- brown to dark brown in colour. Fan mussels live with their pointed end embedded in sediment, attached by abundant fine byssal threads to pebbles and shell fragments. The posterior (broad) end protrudes from the surface. Often solitary but populations occur as small groups or patches of individuals forming small beds. |
This review can be cited as follows:
Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters and Catherine Wilding 2009. Atrina fragilis. Fan mussel. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 19/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=2680>
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