Tuatua
Sign in to saveAlso known as Paphies subtriangulata
Paphies subtriangulata is a species of edible bivalve clam known as tuatua in the Māori language, a member of the family Mesodesmatidae and endemic to New Zealand. It is found on all three of the main New Zealand islands, buried in fine clean sand on ocean beaches.
Species
Species
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassBivalvia
- OrderVenerida
- FamilyMesodesmatidae
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Encyclopedic overview
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Paphies subtriangulata is a species of edible bivalve clam known as tuatua in the Māori language, a member of the family Mesodesmatidae and endemic to New Zealand. It is found on all three of the main New Zealand islands, buried in fine clean sand on ocean beaches.
The large shell is asymmetrical, with the hinge at one side. Its closest relative, the pipi (Paphies australis), has a symmetrical shell. Due to their shell shape, and how they burrow underneath the sand, they can withstand the high-energy waves from the ocean. Using this knowledge, we can identify where they will adapt the most to, and this is the energetic oceanfront.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Tuatua” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.