WoRMS

WoRMS taxon details

Arctica islandica (Linnaeus, 1767)

AphiaID

138802 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:138802)

Classification

Status

accepted

Rank

Species

Parent

Arctica Schumacher, 1817

Original name

Venus islandica Linnaeus, 1767

Synonymised names

Arctica islandica islandica (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted > superseded combination

Arctica vulgaris Schumacher, 1817 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym

Cyprina islandica (Linnaeus, 1767) · unaccepted > superseded combination

Cyprina islandica var. crassior Jeffreys, 1864 · unaccepted

Cyprina islandica var. inflata Odhner, 1911 · unaccepted

Cyprina vulgaris G. B. Sowerby I, 1831 · unaccepted

Pectunculus crassus da Costa, 1778 · unaccepted

Venus buccardium Born, 1778 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym

Venus ferröensis Röding, 1798 · unaccepted

Venus islandica Linnaeus, 1767 · unaccepted > superseded combination

Venus pitar Röding, 1798 · unaccepted

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Subspecies Arctica islandica islandica (Linnaeus, 1758) accepted as Arctica islandica (Linnaeus, 1767) (unaccepted > superseded combination)

Environment

marine, brackish, ~~fresh~~, ~~terrestrial~~

Fossil range

recent + fossil

Original description

(of Venus islandica Linnaeus, 1767) Linnaeus, C. (1767). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Ed. 12. 1., Regnum Animale. 1 & 2. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature: according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places. Ed. 12. 1., Animal Kingdom. 1 & 2]. Holmiae [Stockholm], Laurentii Salvii. pp. 1-532 [1766] pp. 533-1327 [1767]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83650#5
page(s): 1131 [details]

Descriptive notes

Distribution Arctic to Cape Hatteras

Distribution Arctic to Cape Hatteras [details]

Taxonomic citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Arctica islandica (Linnaeus, 1767). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138802 on 2026-04-26

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

Gofas, Serge

2023-10-22 06:50:04Z

changed

Vinarski, Maxim

Licensing

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

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Nomenclature

original description (of Venus islandica Linnaeus, 1767) Linnaeus, C. (1767). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Ed. 12. 1., Regnum Animale. 1 & 2. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature: according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places. Ed. 12. 1., Animal Kingdom. 1 & 2]. Holmiae [Stockholm], Laurentii Salvii. pp. 1-532 [1766] pp. 533-1327 [1767]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83650#5
page(s): 1131 [details]

original description (of Arctica vulgaris Schumacher, 1817) Schumacher, C. F. (1817). Essai d'un nouveau système des habitations des vers testacés. Schultz, Copenghagen. iv + 288 pp., 22 pls., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/81329
page(s): 145 [details]

original description (of Pectunculus crassus da Costa, 1778) Da Costa, E. M. (1778). Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, or, the British conchology; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniæ, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularités d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & françois. i-xii, 1-254, i-vii, [1], Pl. I-XVII. London. (Millan, White, Emsley & Robson). , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13116783
page(s): 183-184; pl. 14 fig. 5 [details]

original description (of Venus buccardium Born, 1778) Born, I. von. (1778). Index rerum naturalium Musei Cæsarei Vindobonensis. Pars I.ma. Testacea. Verzeichniß der natürlichen Seltenheiten des k. k. Naturalien Cabinets zu Wien. Erster Theil. Schalthiere. [1-40], 1-458, [1-82]. Vindobonae [Vienna]: Kraus. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/43890
page(s): 49 [details]

original description (of Venus ferröensis Röding, 1798) Röding, P. F. (1798). Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturæ quæ olim collegerat Joa. Fried Bolten, M. D. p. d. per XL. annos proto physicus Hamburgensis. Pars secunda continens Conchylia sive Testacea univalvia, bivalvia & multivalvia. Trapp, Hamburg, viii + 199 pp., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16230659
page(s): 180 [details]

original description (of Venus pitar Röding, 1798) Röding, P. F. (1798). Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturæ quæ olim collegerat Joa. Fried Bolten, M. D. p. d. per XL. annos proto physicus Hamburgensis. Pars secunda continens Conchylia sive Testacea univalvia, bivalvia & multivalvia. Trapp, Hamburg, viii + 199 pp., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16230659
page(s): 180 [details]

original description (of Cyprina islandica var. crassior Jeffreys, 1864) Jeffreys, J. G. (1862-1869). British conchology. Vol. 1: pp. cxiv + 341 [1862]. Vol. 2: pp. 479 [1864]. Vol. 3: pp. 394 [1865]. Vol. 4: pp. 487 [1867]. Vol. 5: pp. 259 [1869]. London, van Voorst. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/55187
page(s): 305 [details]

original description (of Cyprina islandica var. inflata Odhner, 1911) Odhner, N. 1911. Något om Göteborgstraktens sjöar och deras lägre djurlif.-- Fauna och Flora 6: 283-286. [details]

original description (of Cyprina vulgaris G. B. Sowerby I, 1831) Sowerby I, G. B. (1821-1834). The genera of recent and fossil shells, for the use of students, in conchology and geology. Published in 42 parts. Vol. 1, pls 1-126 [1821-1825]; vol. 2, pls 127-262 + text (unpaginated) [1825-1834]. London: G. B. Sowerby. , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45486673
page(s): 32, [67], plate [details]

basis of record Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/ocrd/254404.pdf [details]

Other

additional source Abbott, R. T. (1974). American seashells. The marine Mollusca of the Atlantic and Pacific coast of North America. ed. 2. Van Nostrand, New York. 663 pp., 24 pls. [October 1974]. (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source Witbaard R., Duineveld G.C.A. & de Wilde P.A.W.J. (1997). A long-term growth record derived from Arctica islandica (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from the Fladen Ground (Northern North Sea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 77: 801-816, available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400036201 [details]

additional source Witbaard R., Duineveld G.C.A. & de Wilde P.A.W.J. (1999). Geographical differences in growth rates of Arctica islandica (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from the North Sea and adjacent waters. Journal of tha Marine Biological Association of the UK 79: 907-915, available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315498001076 [details]

additional source Huber, M. (2010). Compendium of bivalves. A full-color guide to 3,300 of the world's marine bivalves. A status on Bivalvia after 250 years of research. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. 901 pp., 1 CD-ROM. (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source Witbaard, R. & Klein, R. (1994). Long-term trends on the effects of the southern North Sea beamtrawl fishery on the bivalve mollusc Arctica islandica L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia). ICES Journal of Marine Science. 51(1): 99-105., available online at https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.1994.1009 [details]

additional source Jones, D. S. (1979). The nemertean, Malacobdella grossa, in the ocean quahog, Arctica islandica (Bivalvia). The Nautilus. 93(1): 29-30, fig. 1., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/34226 [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Dahlgren, T. G.; Weinberg, J. R.; Halanych, K. M. (2000). Phylogeography of the ocean quahog (Arctica islandica): influences of paleoclimate on genetic diversity and species range. Marine Biology. 137(3): 487-495., available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s002270000342 [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Lutz, R. A.; Mann, R.; Goodsell, J. G.; Castagna, M. (1982). Larval and early post-larval development of Arctica Islandica. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 62(4): 745-769., available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400070314 [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Russell, H. D. (1955). A new clam industry in New England. The Nautilus. 69(2): 53-56., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8525218 [details]

additional source Landers, W. S. (1976). Reproduction and early development of the ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, in the laboratory. The Nautilus. 90(2): 88-92, figs. 1-3., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8276452 [details]

additional source Hawkins, C. M. & Angus, R. B. (1986). Preliminary observations on predation on ocean quahaugs, Arctica islandica, by Atlantic wolffish Anarhichas lupus. The Nautilus. 100(4): 126-129., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8277364 [details]

Present

Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio

Inaccurate

Introduced: alien

Containing type locality

Unreviewed

Dimensions reaches 7.5 to 12.5 cm in size [details]

Distribution Arctic to Cape Hatteras [details]

Habitat infralittoral and circalittoral of the Gulf and estuary [details]

Reproduction separate sexes, usually not dimorphic in shell structure; fertilization occurs within the mantle cavity anf young hatch as pelagic larvae (generalized for group) [details]

Synonymy Originally described as Venus islandica Linnaeus, 1767. [details]

Definitions

Language	Name
Danish	molboøsters	[details]
Dutch	noordkromp	[details]
English	ocean quahogIcelandic cyprineIceland cyprina	[details]
French	cyprine d'Islande	[details]
German	Islandmuschel	[details]
Italian	vongola oceanica	[details]
Norwegian	kuskjell	[details]
Norwegian Bokmål	kuskjell	[details]
Norwegian Nynorsk	kuskjel	[details]
Russian	циприна исландская	[details]
Spanish	almeja de Islandia	[details]
Turkish	deniz tarağı	[details]