About Anadara trapezia (Deshayes, 1839)
Anadara trapezia (Deshayes, 1839) is commonly called the Sydney cockle in New South Wales and the ark cockle in Queensland. It is an estuarine filter-feeding bivalve. Its calcareous shell, which has heavy ribbing, can reach approximately 7 to 8 centimeters (2.8 to 3.1 inches) across. Its current range extends along Australia's east coast, from Queensland to Victoria. During the Middle Holocene, this species was also present in Western Australia, South Australia, and along the coast of New Zealand. It has been used as an indicator (bioindicator) species to study levels of the metals selenium, copper, and cadmium.
