Lunarca ovalis, also known as the blood ark clam, is a species of clam in the family Arcidae. It can be found along North America coast of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Massachusetts to the West Indies and Brazil.[1] It resides from the low-tide line to a depth of ten feet.
| Lunarca ovalis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Arcida |
| Family: | Arcidae |
| Genus: | Lunarca |
| Species: | L. ovalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Lunarca ovalis (Bruguiere, 1789)
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| Synonyms | |
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List
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The blood ark clam is often noted for its appearance, for it can be two-thirds covered by dark brown, fur-like periostracum. It also noted for its red blood, which is a result of it containing hemoglobin; this makes it different from the majority of mollusks and earned it its name. The size is typically between one and three inches in length.
References
edit- ^ Abbott, R.T. & Morris, P.A. A Field Guide to Shells: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the West Indies. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. 11.
Sources
edit- https://web.archive.org/web/20120319221618/http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=SS0068
- http://barnegatshellfish.org/ark_clams02.htm
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