Partially-rough Venus Clam Shell, Iliochione subrugosa
Partially-rough Venus Clam Shell, Iliochione subrugosa. Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2025. Size: 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches) x 0.5 cm (0.2 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.
Partially-rough Venus Clam Shell, Iliochione subrugosa. Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2025. Size: 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) x 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) x 0.6 cm (0.2 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.
Partially-rough Venus Clam Shell, Iliochione subrugosa. Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2025. Size: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches) x 2.9 cm (1.1 inches) x 0.9 cm (0.4 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.
Phylogeny: The Partially-rough Venus Clam Shell, Iliochione subrugosa (Wood, 1828), is a bivalve mollusk that is a member of the Veneridae Family of Venus Clam Shells. The genus Iliochione is one of one hundred seven genera in this family, and this is the only species in the genus. They are known in Mexico as Venus Rayada.
Description: Partially-rough Venus Clam Shells are sturdy, moderately inflated, and have a trigonal outline. They are shiny and sculpted with wavy, concentric, ridges that are most noticeable toward the beak and ends of the shell. The exterior of these shells varies in color from gray, pink, white or tan, with purplish-brown radiating bands. The interior is white and may have purple staining around the margins. The Partially-rough Venus Shells reach a a maximum of 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) in length and 3.9 cm (1.5 inches) in height.
Habitat and Distribution: Partially-rough Venus Clams reside intertidally on and within mud substrate. They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception they they are absent from north of Bahía Magdalena, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.
Ecology and Behavior: Partially-rough Venus Clams are suspension feeders that feed primarily on planktonic algae and suspended organic matter. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. Partially-rough Venus Clams are edible and targeted by artisanal and commercial fisheries. From a conservation perspective the Partially-rough Venus has not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern. They are edible and targeted by artisanal and commercial fisheries.
Synonyms: Anomalocardia broggi, Anomalocardia subrugosa, Chione subrugosa, Venus subrugosa, and Venus triradiata.