This is me on the white sandy beach of Destin, Florida. I went here with my Mimi, Poppy, Uncle, mom and Sister in March of 2011. The water was still cold, and it was breezy, but that didn't stop me from playing at the edge. Here my sister and I found these little shell creatures. Mimi had a cup with her that I used. I filled the bottom with sand, added ocean water and my new treasures. Mom let me take my temporary habitat back to our room to see what would happen, and she took a few videos.
Found on: March 19, 2011
Common Name: Coquina Clams
Scientific Name: Donax variabilis
Found: while in Destin, FL along the edge of the water.
Fun Facts:
Coquina are triangular in shape come in many colors, and their shells are hinged (known as bivalve).
Found along the beaches of the USA Atlantic Ocean and Gulf coasts.
They are filter-feeders, using siphons to eat - one celled alge, plant pieces in the sand, and detritus "(detritus is non-living particulate organic material. It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead creatures as well as fecal material. Detritus is typically colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose (or remineralize) the material". - courtesy of Wikipedia.
These little clams can be used for food - check out this video, found on youtube.com
EatTheWeeds: Episode 88
Clicking this link will take you from my blog - my information came from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/136997/coquina-clam
Keep finding creatures Stephen. You make a great scientist.
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