Cockle
Cockle, any of several two-shelled mollusks with ribbed shells. Cockles are popular as food in Europe. The shells are thick and almost exactly alike, very closely locked together. The ridges, which are often spiny, radiate from the hinge to the edge of the shell. The cockle moves about by means of a muscular foot that it digs into the sand. It is able to bury itself quickly.
There are many types of cockles in North American waters, but they are not commonly eaten. The great cockle, with a brown, purple-spotted shell up to four inches (10 cm) long, is found on Florida beaches and as far north as New Jersey. The sea cockle of the West Coast is not a true cockle. Its shell is pure white with thin edges.
True cockles belong to the family Cardiidae. The European cockle is Cardium edule; the great cockle is Dinocardium robustum. The sea cockle is Amiantis callosa of the family Veneerdae.
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