Tellin Shell

Today was the first bright and sunny day for almost a week and and it was warm enough to tempt Mrs CBL and I out for a beach walk.  We took flasks of coffee with us as well as a couple of Fat Rascals to eat while sitting on the rocks topping up our suntans!

On the way back home we saw lots of Tellins lying on the sand washed up by the rolling waves.  They are very attractive little shells. Their outer surface is shiny with various shades of yellow or pink both inside and outside the shell. The shell is sculptured with fine concentric lines and has a smooth edge.

This bivalve lies on its left valve buried in the first few inches of fine sand and is a suspension feeder. It has a long siphon that extends above the sand when feeding and young flatfishes often feed on the tips of the siphon. However, the bivalve is not killed and the siphon can grow back again.

Bigger bubbles when viewed in large.