Donax variabilis
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| Donax variabilis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Donax variabilis shells showing some color variation | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Cardiida |
| Family: | Donacidae |
| Genus: | Donax |
| Species: | D. variabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Donax variabilis Say, 1822 | |
Donax variabilis, known by the common name coquina, is a species of small edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Donacidae, the bean clams. It is a warm water species which occurs in shallow water on sandy beaches on the east coast of the United States and is also plentiful in Mayaro, Trinidad as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. Known as chip-chip in Trinidad and chipi-chipi in Venezuela.
This species occurs on the east coast of the United States, from Cape May, New Jersey to Florida including East Florida, West Florida and the Florida Keys.[1]
Description
Biology
This species lives from the intertidal zone of sandy beaches to a depth of 11 m (36 ft).[4] As most mollusks, the coquina is host to a variety of parasites. On the Atlantic Coast of the United States, studies have shown that coquinas harbour the larval stages (cercariae, sporocysts) of at least three species of digeneans (none of these represents a danger for humans).[5]
