Of cockles clams and scallops

There seem to be an unusually large number of shells (the exoskeletons of animals) on the beach this winter. I may be wrong but I don’t recall shells vying with pebbles for dominance in so many areas along the tide line - perhaps this is because of a preponderance of winter storms and rough seas.

Here’s a photo from today with some or all of the following: 

Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) - spiral shells

Mussels (Mytilus edulis) - darker, elongated shells

Cockles (Cerastoderma edule) - rounded shells with ridges

Venus shells - smoother, rounded shells

Barnacles or limpets - possibly some of the encrusted or broken parts

The largest shells that I’ve ever found on Brighton Beach are scallops, beautiful fan-shaped objects. There aren’t many, though, because most of them, the ones I’ve seen and collected over the years, have been found much closer to Shoreham, immediately east of the River Adur (near the fab cafe, Carats).

Fun fact from BBC Science Focus. The very largest shells are of giant clams, Tridacna gigas. They can grow to well over a metre across and tip the scales at 200kg. Like all shell-making molluscs, they sculpt their protective homes from calcium carbonate and gradually expand them throughout their lives. They inhabit coral reefs and can live for at least a century. Here’s one on sale for around £3,000 (by UK Architectural Heritage).

Coming soon - life cycle of the common whelk!