Fan shell
6 April 2010
The Fan shell is one of our rarest molluscs. Individuals can reach 70 cm in length and may be very old. Fan shells occur from just below Low Water to a depth of 400 m and live in mud, sand or fine gravel. The shell is vertically embedded with just the top part exposed.
Fan shell
Latin name: Atrina fragilis
Population numbers: There is almost no information about the status of this species. It may have declined due to the impacts of demersal fishing activities and, in some areas, sand and gravel extraction.
Where to see and when: Fan shells have been recorded in the Irish Sea (Dublin Bay, Liverpool Bay and the Bristol Channel), the Scilly Isles, the Channel Isles and along the south coast of England. In the south-west, it is thought that fan shells have disappeared from inlets where it was once common.
What’s being done: Natural England and other partners have funded estuary officers who have improved our knowledge of this rare species. Fan shells are sensitive to seabed disturbance, so a recent Plymouth-based media campaign to reduce the number of small craft mooring where fan shells are found should help them survive.
More information:
Species Action Plan
(UK Biodiversity Action Plan)
