- José H. Leal
Shell of the Week: The Giant False Coquina
Iphigenia brasiliensis belongs to the coquina family, the Donacidae. Its shell reaches 66 mm (about 2.6 inches) and resembles a larger version of the local (in Florida) Variable Coquina, Donax variabilis. Its shell has a thin, smooth, light-brown periostracum (the outer layer). The wedge-shape of coquina shells help during quick burrowing in the sand. The species inhabits estuarine areas in Florida, teh Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean south to southern Brazil.

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