The siphons of this live Variable Coquina are visible on the right, it soon buried into the sand and disappeared from sight. The strong brown ligament visible in the middle of the shell often remains after the animal dies, the shells look like small butterflies.
Bivalve Sanibel Island, FL Dec. 16, 2009 The man who found these two shells together really hit the jackpot! The odds of finding the matching shells are astronomical!
St. George Island, FL Dec. 20, 2009 The hinge that holds the shells together when the animal is alive is quite strong in these shells, therefore it is possible to find them still attached on the beach after the animal has died. I separated these two so I could get a better photo. The small hole in the shell on the right is an indication that a predatory snail killed and ate the clam.
