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José H. Leal

Shell of the Week: The Atlantic Abra

The Atlantic Abra, Abra aequalis (Say, 1822), is yet another little (7 mm, or about 0.3 inch) bivalve that could be included in the group that amateur and professional malacologists affectively call “little white clams”, or “LWCs.” These are several species of small, whitish bivalves that could be easily confused with one another, even by seasoned shell enthusiasts! The Atlantic Abra has a shell surface that is almost smooth, bearing only a very fine sculpture on the anterior margin of the right valve (lower image, on the right of shell.) The small shell ligament is internal, and the color is a dull-white.

The Atlantic Abra, Abra aequalis, from Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.

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