The Atlantic Nut Clam, Nucula proxima Say, 1822, lives locally on muddy-sand bottoms. Most bivalves (Clams, Mussels, Oysters, etc.) are filter-feeders, “sieving” the water to collect their microscopic food (microalgae and other forms of phytoplankton). Nut Clams (family Nuculidae), on the other hand, are deposit-feeding bivalves, scooping up the film of decomposing organic matter and bacteria that accumulates on the surface of the sea floor. They do so using tentacle-like structures called labial palps. Nut Clams have a noticeable inner shell layer of mother-of-pearl (nacre), and their shell hinge teeth (see picture) are shaped like interlocking combs.
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The arrows on the photo on the right point to the hinge teeth of the Atlantic Nut Clam. Photos by José H. Leal.