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If you are lucky enough to chance upon a Sea Potato, this shell or valves are held together by a strong ligament
be careful to handle with care – their shells tend to along one side. When the shell is closed, the ends remain
be extremely fragile and brittle – much to the dismay of open, creating a tube-like effect. A filter feeder, this
small children! This sea creature gets it’s name from the bivalve must remain close to the surface of the water as
potato-like appearance of its empty whitest test. The Sea its sipon is very short. If it feels threatened it can pull
Potato usually lives where it can burrow into clean sand itself deep into the sand by extending a strong, muscular
in deeper waters. Covered with a thick layer of yellow- foot to pull its shell downwards.
brown spines, the Sea Potato can grow up to 9cm but is
usually smaller. When alive it uses rows of tube-feet to Common/Edible Cockle
collect particles from within it’s burrow.
Ruacan Cerastoderma edule (Cardium edule)
Sandhopper
Dreancaid trá
Talitrus saltator
You are bound to encounter many sandhoppers if you
decide to venture onto one of Irelands beaches. By
day they care to be found under the debris or seaweed
at the high tide mark. These little creatures come out
at night from their hiding places, to feast on seaweed.
There are numerous different kinds of sandhopper. By
flexing its tail this small creature can hop quite long
distances.
Edible Crab
Portán dearg
Cancer pagurus
The red -brown crab with it’s “pie crust” edging is The Common Cockle is a bivalve that lives buried
easy to recognise, its’ small green eyes, black tips in sand or mud by the shore. Often its empty shell
on its large pincers. Claws used for defence and feeding is all that you may see on the surface. The shell is thick
tend to be bigger in teh male crab than on the female. To and greyish white in colour having broad rounded ribs
hide, the edible crab may tuck its legs under its body and running from the top to the edge of the shell. You can
partly bury itself among stones making itself difficult to tell the animals’ age by looking at the growth rings run-
see. You may find big specimens in the deeper waters but ning across these ribs. Each year a heavy ring is added.
on the shore, smaller edible crabs may be found. The cockle lives 2-3cm below the surface of the water
anchored by its foot. It pushes its two tube-like siphons
Common/curved razor shell up to the surface of the sand to feed and breath when the
Scian Mhara Chuar tide is in.
Ensis ensis
Excerpts from A Beginners Guide to Irelands Seashore.
This shellfish has a long think slightly curved and
rectangular shaped shell. You may be lucky enough Common / Blue Mussel
to encounter one empty on the shore. The two halves of Diúilicín
Mytilus edulis
This mollusc prefers to attach to a hard structure,
rocks or a shipwreck. Its slightly oval shaped shell
may be blue , black or brown in colour. Inside it is pearly
white with a darker boarder. You will find mussels living
together in huge colonies on the sea shore.
113
be careful to handle with care – their shells tend to along one side. When the shell is closed, the ends remain
be extremely fragile and brittle – much to the dismay of open, creating a tube-like effect. A filter feeder, this
small children! This sea creature gets it’s name from the bivalve must remain close to the surface of the water as
potato-like appearance of its empty whitest test. The Sea its sipon is very short. If it feels threatened it can pull
Potato usually lives where it can burrow into clean sand itself deep into the sand by extending a strong, muscular
in deeper waters. Covered with a thick layer of yellow- foot to pull its shell downwards.
brown spines, the Sea Potato can grow up to 9cm but is
usually smaller. When alive it uses rows of tube-feet to Common/Edible Cockle
collect particles from within it’s burrow.
Ruacan Cerastoderma edule (Cardium edule)
Sandhopper
Dreancaid trá
Talitrus saltator
You are bound to encounter many sandhoppers if you
decide to venture onto one of Irelands beaches. By
day they care to be found under the debris or seaweed
at the high tide mark. These little creatures come out
at night from their hiding places, to feast on seaweed.
There are numerous different kinds of sandhopper. By
flexing its tail this small creature can hop quite long
distances.
Edible Crab
Portán dearg
Cancer pagurus
The red -brown crab with it’s “pie crust” edging is The Common Cockle is a bivalve that lives buried
easy to recognise, its’ small green eyes, black tips in sand or mud by the shore. Often its empty shell
on its large pincers. Claws used for defence and feeding is all that you may see on the surface. The shell is thick
tend to be bigger in teh male crab than on the female. To and greyish white in colour having broad rounded ribs
hide, the edible crab may tuck its legs under its body and running from the top to the edge of the shell. You can
partly bury itself among stones making itself difficult to tell the animals’ age by looking at the growth rings run-
see. You may find big specimens in the deeper waters but ning across these ribs. Each year a heavy ring is added.
on the shore, smaller edible crabs may be found. The cockle lives 2-3cm below the surface of the water
anchored by its foot. It pushes its two tube-like siphons
Common/curved razor shell up to the surface of the sand to feed and breath when the
Scian Mhara Chuar tide is in.
Ensis ensis
Excerpts from A Beginners Guide to Irelands Seashore.
This shellfish has a long think slightly curved and
rectangular shaped shell. You may be lucky enough Common / Blue Mussel
to encounter one empty on the shore. The two halves of Diúilicín
Mytilus edulis
This mollusc prefers to attach to a hard structure,
rocks or a shipwreck. Its slightly oval shaped shell
may be blue , black or brown in colour. Inside it is pearly
white with a darker boarder. You will find mussels living
together in huge colonies on the sea shore.
113
