Angel Wings – uniquely boring!

If you’re a very slow moving creature, finding a feed while avoiding being eaten would take some pretty quick decisions. “Should I stay or should I go?” just may be your very last thought. So our mollusc mates have developed some pretty amazing survival strategies. But Pholas australiasiae aka Angel Wings takes the prize for being the only one that is truly boring!

While most bi-valves can bury themselves in sand and mud, this thin-shelled animal is remarkable for its ability to bore into stiff clay or soft rock. Perhaps it does so to keep away from predators, and presumably find food at the same time?  The Baykeeper shoreline shell surveys have found  this species on only a few beaches and in small numbers. Greatest numbers have been recorded at Werribee River, where the shells were a leaden grey colour compared to matt white shells found at St Kilda.

What’s going on there?