Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata

Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata. Size: 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) x 3.8 cm cm (1.5 inches). Shell collected in the along the coast of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, March 2015. Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Western Strawberry Cockle, Americardia biangulata (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829), is bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Cardiidae Family of Cockles and True Cockles. The shell has a rounded squarish profile with a prominent beak with 26 to 30 flat radiating ribs. The anterior end and margin of the shell are rounded, the posterior end is sloping and concave and the hinge is straight. The exterior of the shell can vary from yellowish with brown blotches, to light brown or white without blotches; the interior is usually reddish or purplish. The Western Strawberry Cockle Shells reach a maximum of  4.2 cm (1.7 inches) in length and 4.2 cm (1.7 inches) in width.

Western Strawberry Cockles are found within sand and mud substrate in the intertidal zone to depths up to 200 m (660 feet). They range from Southern California to Ecuador and are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Cardia biangulata, Cardia magnificum, and Ctenocardia biangulata.