As reported at both Uncommon Smooth Crassatella (Giant Cockle) found at Brighton, SA and Peter Muirhead’s Love of the Sea, “Society member David Muirhead found a single half of a ‘Giant Cockle’ valve (105mm max diameter) in a sand dune cutaway at Brighton beach, South Australia” on 3rd July 2014.
David took a series of photographs of the specimen, including the following images: –
David’s discovery had followed a similar one by his cousin Peter in 2011: –
“A specimen of Eucrassatella donacina found by Peter Muirhead was previously reported in our October 2011 newsletter, No.386. According to the report “The Giant Cockle, Eucrassatella donacina”, fisherman Peter Muirhead had asked David Muirhead to identify a bivalve mollusc from this photograph that he had taken.
David explained that Peter’s ‘Giant Cockle’ was Eucrassatella donacina, which is now being called the Smooth Crassatella: –
“Currently only 9 records are ‘up’, all from SA and WA, mainly SA. The Malacological Society booklet 2011 classifies it as Uncommon, and the Australian Faunal Directory says that it is endemic to southern Australia,” said David. “It is an uncommon local marine species in Gulf St Vincent to around 20m depth,” he said.
Peter had “pulled (the bivalve mollusc) up attached to a piece of weed on a snapper spot southeast of the Glenelg Tyre Reef (mid-August 2011).”
David told Peter, “It occurs in sand, sub-littoral to 20m depth, and is said to be quite common. Peter‘s reply to David was “That cockle must have been right at its depth limit because it was smack on 20 metres where we pulled it from its hiding spot on a strand of weed.”
Peter‘s photo of the cockle, Eucrassatella donacina, was placed into our Photo Index as image No.5135.
Raymond Engels discovered a giant cockle at Birkenhead recently and he sent us a message, saying “Hi , I just found a cockle in Birkenhead that measures 115mm across ! It’s about 10mm thick in places ! It looks like a Goolwa cockle but old ! Is that common?”
We asked Ray to send us a photo of the cockle. These photos from Ray were received recently: –
Ray also sent us these details: –
“I’ve recently donated the cockle to the SA Museum mollusc department and they’re currently studying it for its future display in the museum; it ended up measuring very close to 120mm wide and about 10mm thick it may also be a new species I’m told.”
We thank Ray for sending these details about his discovery.