Nuttall's Cockle

At a glance

Nuttall's Cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii) is a bivalve mollusk present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.

Confirmed by 5,290 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, Washington, and California the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Its shell bears about 35 prominent radiating ribs, giving it a distinctive ridged appearance.
• Can leap using its muscular foot to escape sea stars and other predators.
• Grows up to 4 inches wide and ranges from Alaska to Baja California.
• Lives in sandy and muddy bays from the intertidal zone down to about 200 feet.
• Prized by recreational clammers for their sweet, tender flavor.

Where Nuttall's Cockle are seen

• British Columbia2,267 iNat obs
• Washington1,535 iNat obs
• California981 iNat obs
• Alaska280 iNat obs
• Oregon227 iNat obs

Background

Clinocardium nuttallii, common name Nuttall's cockle, basket cockle, or Heart cockle, is a species of large edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae, the cockles.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Nuttall's Cockle article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other clams/oysters/mussels on CatchRules

• Northern QuahogMercenaria mercenaria
• Northern Horse MusselModiolus modiolus