About Macoma nasuta (Conrad, 1837)
This bivalve species, Macoma nasuta, has a hinge plate with no lateral teeth, and its shell length is much less than twice the shell height. The posterior sections of both valves are distinctly bent toward the right. Like all species in the genus Macoma, its siphons are distinctly separated, and the siphons have clear orange pigmentation. The periostracum is typically very prominent, and the shell has a dirty brown, wrinkled appearance, most noticeable near the shell margin. Key distinguishing characteristics include the sharp rightward bend of both valves at the posterior end, the orange coloration of the siphons, and the usually prominent periostracum. Macoma nasuta is common in intertidal and subtidal zones down to 50 meters depth. It prefers mud or muddy sand substrates in quiet waters, and can burrow up to 40 centimeters below the sediment surface. Macoma nasuta and Macoma secta are geographically sympatric species, and both are characteristic Macoma species found along the west coast of North America. Its range extends across the neritic provinces of the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Kodiak Island, Alaska, to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Macoma nasuta is a dioecious (likely gonochoristic) species that spawns in early summer.
