What is an angelwing clam?

The angelwing clam, Cyrtopleura costata, is a large clam that can be found from Massachusetts to the Carolinas, down through the Caribbean and to the coast of Brazil. It gets its name because the shape of its fragile shells are reminiscent of the wings of angels.

The angelwing clam grows to be between 4 and 7 inches long. The shell is thin and pure white, and it has 30 radial ribs that resemble the feathers along a wing. The clam is found in the mud in the intralittoral zone just off the beach, and it burrows in the mud using its powerful foot and siphons.