Venus clam is the common name for bivalve molluscs of the family Veneridae. The most well-known species is the Common Cockle. It grows to 3.5 cm in size and belongs to the subclass of pteriomorph bivalves. It moves by crawling along the seabed and is known to burrow quickly into the mud.
It is eaten raw, with lemon.
Venus clams are grey with shades of dark blue or green. Their rounded shells have a distinct shape: they are symmetrical and when viewed from the side they appear heart-shaped. Most genera have ridged shells with semi-circular contour lines running across the ridges. The mantle edge has three folds for letting water out. Venus clams feed by sucking in water and using the mantle to filter out plankton. They are hermaphroditic and can reproduce within very short periods of time.