Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata

Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata. Size: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches) x 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) x 3.2 cm (1.3 inches). Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2025. Size: 3.1 cm (1.2 inches) x 2.6 cm (1.0 inches) x 1.3 cm (0.5 inches). Collection and photographs courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato. Identification courtesy of Dr. Paul Vlentich-Scott, Santa Barbara, California.

Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata. Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2025. Size: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches) x 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) x 3.2 cm (1.3 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata. Size: 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) x 3.8 cm (1.5 inches). Shell collected in the along the coast of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, March 2015. Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Phylogeny: The Western Strawberry Cockle Shell, Americardia biangulata (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829), is bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Cardiidae Family of Cockles and True Cockle Shells. The genus Americardia is one of forty-nine genera in this family, and there are eight species in this genus. In Mexico they are known as Berbecho.

Description: The Western Strawberry Cockle Shell has a subquadrate outline, an inflated profile, and  a prominent beak.  The anterior end is broadly rounded, and the posterior end is sloping and concave. The hinge is straight. They are sculpted with 26 to 30 flat radiating ribs. The exterior of the shell can vary from yellowish with brown blotches, to light brown or white without blotches. The interior is usually reddish or purplish. Western Strawberry Cockle Shells reach a maximum of  4.2 cm (1.7 inches) in length and 4.2 cm (1.7 inches) in width.

Habitat and Distribution: Western Strawberry Cockles are found within sand and mud substrates in the intertidal zone, and at depths up to 200 m (660 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all coastal Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Ecology and Behavior: Western Strawberry Cockles are suspension feeders that feed primarily on plankton and other suspended organic matter. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. Their commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationships have not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Cardium biangulatum, Cardium magnificum, Ctenocardia biangulata, and Trigoniocardia biangulata.