Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Veneridae

Parastarte triquetra

(Conrad, 1846)

Brown Gem Clam

Shell size to 3 mm; shell very small, trigonal, higher than wide. Surface polished, smooth. Umbones large, elevated. Color tan to brown. Do not confuse with Gemma gemma (Totten, 1834), which is not as high. Common on muddy sand bars. Pictures of Sanibel specimens by N. Barrera.