About Pholas dactylus Linnaeus, 1758
Pholas dactylus, commonly known as the common piddock, is a bioluminescent, clam-like marine mollusc that belongs to the family Pholadidae. To create shelter, this species bores into substrate by grinding material away using the hard portions of its shell while rotating around its longitudinal axis, and it lives inside the resulting tubular burrow. While Pholas dactylus has been recorded boring into the hard metamorphic rock gneiss, it more commonly inhabits softer rock. It is a filter feeder that uses its siphons to access water outside of its burrow. It was once considered a highly valued food source in Europe. Common piddocks are sensitive to light, and will retract into their shell when exposed to light. This species is distributed along the coasts of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
