I found this spikey-shelled cockle on the beach at Weymouth. The tide was out and had left a series of shallow sandy ripples. Bait diggers had created some deep holes and I think that was how the cockle came to be lying on the surface in a ripple valley. It was sucking in water and periodically squirting it out.
I am not sure of its identity. It looks a lot like the Spiny Cockles (Acanthocardia aculeata) I find on Gower beaches but its overall appearance, size, and the sharpness of the spines make me think it is either a Prickly (Acanthocardia echinata) or a Rough Cockle (Acanthocardia tuberculata). Because it was alive and I returned it to the sediments, I could not examine the teeth in the hinge area or the inside of the shell, which would have provided vital clues. I’ll have to look out for empty Acanthocardia shells on the beach when I next visit Weymouth.
Click here for more pictures and information about Spiny Cockles in Jessica’s Nature Blog.
Revision of a post first published 1 February 2010
COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011
All Rights Reserved
Jessica's Nature Blog 
I love the spiny cockles. Have you found a live one washed up and watched it try to rebury itself with that amazing carmine red foot?
LikeLike
They’re great aren’t they? It looks like it’s sticking out a big red tongue.
LikeLike
Do they need help if lying on wet, open sand?
Weymouth beach 12/3/24 there were loads of live ones stranded, up about 4″!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes they will rebury themselves if the sand is wet and they don’t dry out in the sun first. You could put them back in the water if that were possible. Sometimes when you find them they have been out in the open too long already and won’t be savable. I would think that many would survive until the next tide brings in water provided they don’t get too hot.
LikeLike