About Limaria hians (Gmelin, 1791)
Limaria hians, commonly known as the flame shell, is a species of small saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc that belongs to the family Limidae. This species is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Its distribution spans the northeast Atlantic, ranging from Lofoten to the Canary Islands, and it is also found in the Mediterranean Sea. Within the British Isles, the species occurs primarily along the west coast of Scotland, from the sublittoral zone (the area below low tide) down to a depth of 100m. There are also scattered, patchy records of this species from more southerly regions of the United Kingdom. A number of well-documented flame shell colonies exist on the seabed of Loch Carron, below Strome Castle. In 2012, a survey of Loch Alsh conducted by Heriot-Watt University on behalf of Marine Scotland discovered a bed of 100 million flame shells covering 75 hectares of area. At the time of the discovery, Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, stated that the flame shell must be counted among the most remarkable species native to Scottish waters, noting its striking display of orange tentacles. He added that many people assume such exotic-looking species live on remote tropical reefs, and do not know that flame shells dwell in waters just off the coast of Skye. He also noted that this major discovery could represent the largest grouping of flame shells anywhere in the world.
