The Yellow Prickly Cockle, Dallocardia muricata (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of eight locally found species of the bivalve family Cardiidae. Its shells are roughly circular, measure up to 1.5–2 inches in length, and bear a number of radial ribs, each rib displaying a large number of small scales. This feature is shared with another, closely related local species, the Florida Prickly Cockle. This latter bivalve, however, has a more elongate shell, with colors ranging from white to pinkish-purple, while the Yellow Prickly Cockle is usually yellowish to orange-red.
The Yellow Prickly Cockle, Dallocardia muricata, from Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.