Rough seas can deposit very interesting
creatures on the shore.
A walk on the beach after a storm can be very rewarding especially for those who do not dive or snorkel and have to rely on the waves to see some of the creatures that live below the surface.
A walk on the beach after a storm can be very rewarding especially for those who do not dive or snorkel and have to rely on the waves to see some of the creatures that live below the surface.
Many creatures are too fragile to survive
the pounding waves intact but many mollusc have very strong shells and remain
intact even after a considerable amount of pounding.
Cockles have strong, compact heart-shaped
shells that can be rolled over the sand and banged without damage to the living
mollusc.
About twenty species are found in theMediterranean
of which ten have been recorded in Maltese waters.
The cockle shell, known in Maltese as xedaq, is common in sandy bottoms while the slightly smaller edible cockle, known in Maltese as arzella tal-Marsa prefers brackish water such as is found in estuaries.
About twenty species are found in the
The cockle shell, known in Maltese as xedaq, is common in sandy bottoms while the slightly smaller edible cockle, known in Maltese as arzella tal-Marsa prefers brackish water such as is found in estuaries.
Cockles are bivalves, that is, molluscs
whose shell is made up of two opposing valves attached together by means of a
flexible ligament.
About 9,200 species, of which 8,000 live in
the sea, are known to exist. These range in size from miniscule species to the
giant clam which can grow up to 200 kilograms. About 230 species have been
recorded in the seas around the Maltese islands with another two species live solely
in fresh water.
Some species live attached to solid
surfaces while others bury themselves in sediment. Scallops one of which is
known in Maltese as pellegrina are
free living and can escape from predators by clapping the valves together and
creating a jet of water to swim away from danger.
Most bivalves are edible although relatively few
species are collected for consumption. Nowadays large numbers are farmed in
many parts of the world not only for sale in food markets but also for the
cultivation of pearls. This article was published in The Times on 14.03.2012.
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