Chamaelea gallina

Clams live in large groups, buried beneath the sand in the vicinity of the shore and coastal lagoons, from the low-tide mark out to depths of 250 metres. Found in Italian waters, especially the upper and middle Adriatic, the clam is also present throughout the rest of the Mediterranean, as well as in the Caspian Sea and in the Eastem Atlantic. It lives as far north as the coasts of Norway, and as far south as the Red Sea.
Clams belong to the class Lamellibranchia; their outside shell consists of two equal sections referred to as valves and joined by a hinge. The shell is formed from calcium carbonate which the animai draws from the sea water. The valve has the shape of a rounded triangle, and the inside of the shell is smooth.
The colour of the shell can vary from white or grey to lightbrown.