Distribution
Are there cockles in Oregon?
Yes!
What is one color that cockles can have on their shell?
whitish, reddish, yellow, brown, blue all ok
True or false: you can tell if a cockle is a boy or a girl by looking at it.
False
Cockles' favorite habitat substrate is what?
Sand
What is the southernmost place this species of cockles lives?
San Diego
What is the technical name for their shells?
Valves! (BIVALVE!)
Where does cockle fertilization typically take place?
In the water column
Name one cockle predator
Birds, moon snails, otters, or people all ok
Are there cockles in BC?
Yes!
What body part do cockles use to breathe and eat?
Siphon
What is the name for animals that release their gametes into the water individually in hopes that they will be fertilized in the water column?
Broadcast spawners
True or false, cockles are often found near small freshwater drainages.
True!
What is the tidal elevation that cockles start to appear in the intertidal substrate?
About -0.5'
What body part do cockles use to move?
Their Foot!
Since cockles make both male and female gametes, they are what?
Simultaneous hermaphrodites
Cockles can be easy prey for birds because they sometimes hang out where?
On top of the sand
What is the deepest cockles theoretically live underwater?
90 feet
Where does the cockle have rudimentary sensory organs?
In their mantle.
How long do cockle larvae tend to swim before settling onto the substrate?
Around 10 - 14 days
What is one reason that cockles may like to hide under green algae on the beach?
Thermal protection