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A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the family Cardiidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Cardiidae Lamarck, 1809. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=229 on 2022-02-09 True cockles live in sandy, sheltered beaches throughout the world. The distinctive rounded shells are bilaterally symmetrical, and are
heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
-shaped when viewed from the end. Numerous radial, evenly spaced ribs are a feature of the shell in most but not all
genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
(for an exception, see the genus ''
Laevicardium ''Laevicardium'', common name "egg cockles", is a genus of saltwater clams or cockles, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called c ...
'', the egg cockles, which have very smooth shells). The shell of a cockle is able to close completely (i.e., there is no "gap" at any point around the edge). Though the shell of a cockle may superficially resemble that of a
scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...
because of the ribs, cockles can be distinguished from scallops morphologically in that cockle shells lack "auricles" (triangular ear-shaped protrusions near the hinge line) and scallop shells lack a
pallial sinus The pallial sinus is an indentation or inward bending in the pallial line on the interior of a bivalve mollusk shell's valves that corresponds to the position of the siphons in those types of clams which have siphons (i.e. siphonate). The posit ...
. Behaviorally, cockles live buried in sediment, whereas scallops either are free-living and will swim into the water column to avoid a predator, or in some cases live attached by a
byssus A byssus () is a bundle of filaments secreted by many species of bivalve mollusc that function to attach the mollusc to a solid surface. Species from several families of clams have a byssus, including pen shells (Pinnidae), true mussels (Mytilid ...
to a substrate. The
mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...
has three apertures (inhalant, exhalant, and pedal) for siphoning water and for the foot to protrude. Cockles typically burrow using the foot, and feed by filtering
plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...
from the surrounding water. Cockles are capable of "jumping" by bending and straightening the foot. As is the case in many bivalves, cockles display
gonochorism In biology, gonochorism is a sexual system where there are only two Sex, sexes and each individual organism is either male or female. The term gonochorism is usually applied in animal species, the vast majority of which are gonochoric. Gonochor ...
(the sex of an individual varies according to conditions), and some species reach maturity rapidly. The common name "cockle" is also given by seafood sellers to a number of other small, edible marine bivalves which have a somewhat similar shape and sculpture, but are in other families such as the
Veneridae The Veneridae or venerids, common name: Venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. Over 500 living species of venerid bivalves are known, most of which are edible, and many of which are e ...
(Venus clams) and the
ark clam Ark clam is the common name for a family of small to large-sized saltwater clams or marine bivalve molluscs in the family Arcidae. Ark clams vary both in shape and size. They number about 200 species worldwide. The shells of ark clams are of ...
s ( Arcidae). Cockles in the family Cardiidae are sometimes referred to as "true cockles" to distinguish them from these other species.


Species

There are more than 205 living species of cockles, with many more fossil forms. The
common cockle The common cockle (''Cerastoderma edule'') is a species of edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. It is found in waters off Europe, from Iceland in the north, south into waters off western Africa as ...
, ''(Cerastoderma edule)'', is widely distributed around the coastlines of
Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...
, with a range extending west to
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, the
Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...
in the north,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
in the east, and as far south as
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
. The
dog cockle The dog cockle or European bittersweet (''Glycymeris glycymeris'') is a species of marine clam, a coastal bivalve mollusc of European waters. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the common cockle. While the English common nam ...
, ''Glycymeris glycymeris'', has a similar range and habitat to the common cockle, but is not at all closely related, being in the family
Glycymerididae Glycymerididae, often misspelled as Glycymeridae, common names dog cockles or bittersweets, is a worldwide family of salt water clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Arcida. They are related to the ark clams. This family contains 45 extan ...
. The dog cockle is edible, but due to its toughness when cooked it is generally not eaten, although a process is being developed to solve this problem. The blood cockle, ''
Tegillarca granosa ''Tegillarca granosa'' (also known as ''Anadara granosa'') is a species of ark clam known as the blood cockle or blood clam due to the red haemoglobin liquid inside the soft tissues. It is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern ...
'' (not related to the true cockles, instead in the ark clam family, Arcidae) is extensively cultured from southern
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
to
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.


Genera

Genera within the family Cardiidae include: * ''
Acanthocardia ''Acanthocardia'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae. Like most other bivalves, these mollusks are suspension feeders. This genus is present from the Upper Oligocene to the Recent. Species * ''Acantho ...
'' Gray, 1851 * † '' Acobaecardium'' Paramonova, 1986 * ''
Acrosterigma ''Acrosterigma'' is a genus of large saltwater clams or cockles, marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are ...
'' Dall, 1900 * '' Adacna'' Eichwald, 1838 * '' Afrocardium'' Tomlin, 1931 * † '' Agnocardia'' Stewart, 1930 * † '' Aktschagylocardium'' Danukalova, 1996 * ''
Americardia ''Americardia'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles.Abbott, R.T. & Morris, P.A. ''A Field Guide to Shells: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the West Indies.'' New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. 5 ...
'' Stewart, 1930 * † '' Andrusovicardium'' Paramonova, 1986 * † '' Anechinocardium'' Hickman, 2015 * '' Apiocardia'' Olsson, 1961 * † '' Apscheronia'' Andrusov, 1903 * † '' Arcicardium'' P. Fischer, 1887 * † '' Arpadicardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * † '' Austrocardium'' Freneix & Grant-Mackie, 1978 * † '' Avicardium'' V. P. Kolesnikov, 1950 * † ''
Avicularium The avicularium (pl. avicularia) in cheilostome bryozoans is a modified, non-feeding zooid. The operculum, which normally closes the orifice when the zooids tentacles are retracted, has been modified to become a mandible. Strong muscles operate it. ...
'' Gray, 1853 * † '' Aviculocardium'' Bagdasarian, 1978 * † '' Bosphoricardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * '' Bucardium'' Gray, 1853 * † '' Budmania'' Brusina, 1897 * † '' Byssocardium'' Tournouër, 1882 * † '' Caladacna'' Andrusov, 1917 * '' Cardium'' Linnaeus, 1758 * † '' Caspicardium'' Astaf'yeva, 1955 * ''
Cerastoderma ''Cerastoderma'' is a genus of marine bivalves in the family Cardiidae. It includes the common cockle ''Cerastoderma edule.'' Fossil records This genus is known in the fossil records from the Paleocene to the Quaternary (age range: from 58.7 t ...
'' Poli, 1795 * † '' Chartoconcha'' Andrusov, 1907 * † '' Chokrakia'' S. V. Popov, 2001 * '' Ciliatocardium'' Kafanov, 1974 * ''
Clinocardium ''Clinocardium '' is a genus of marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Clinocardium nuttallii'', also known as the basket cockle or Nuttall's cockle, a large edible ...
'' Keen, 1936 * ''
Corculum ''Corculum'' is a genus of small saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. They maintain ''Symbiodinium'' dinoflagellate The dinoflagellates (Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' " ...
'' Röding, 1798 * '' Ctenocardia'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1857 * † '' Dacicardium'' Papaianopol, 1975 * '' Dallocardia'' Stewart, 1930 * '' Didacna'' Eichwald, 1838 * † '' Didacnoides'' Astaf'yeva, 1960 * † '' Didacnomya'' Andrusov, 1923 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Digressodacna'' Davitashvili & Kitovani, 1964 * ''
Dinocardium ''Dinocardium'' is a genus of large saltwater clams or cockles, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. There is only one species in the genus, ''Dinocardium robustum'', or the Atlantic giant cockle. Description ''Dinocardi ...
'' Dall, 1900 * '' Discors'' Deshayes, 1858 * † '' Diversicostata'' Vassoevich & Eberzin, 1930 * † '' Ecericardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * † '' Eoprosodacna'' Davitashvili, 1934 * † '' Ethmocardium'' White, 1880 * '' Europicardium'' Popov, 1977 * † '' Euxinicardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * '' Fragum'' Röding, 1798 * '' Freneixicardia'' J. A. Schneider, 2002 * '' Frigidocardium'' Habe, 1951 * ''
Fulvia Fulvia (; c. 83 BC – 40 BC) was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Fulvia's birth into an important political dynasty facilitated her relationships and, later on, marriages to Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gai ...
'' Gray, 1853 * † '' Gilletella'' Marinescu, 1973 * ''
Glans The glans (, plural "glandes" ; from the Latin word for " acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals. Structure The exterior structure o ...
'' Megerle von Mühlfeld, 1811 * '' Goethemia'' Lambiotte, 1979 * † '' Goniocardium'' Vasseur, 1880 * † '' Granocardium'' Gabb, 1869 * † '' Habecardium'' Glibert & van de Poel, 1970 * † '' Hedecardium'' Marwick, 1944 * † '' Hellenicardium'' S. V. Popov & Nevesskaja, 2000 * ''
Hippopus ''Hippopus'' is a genus of large tropical saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Tridacninae, the giant clam subfamily, of the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bi ...
'' Lamarck, 1799 * † '' Horiodacna'' Stefanescu, 1896 * '' Hypanis'' Pander in Menetries, 1832 * † '' Integricardium'' Rollier, 1912 * '' Keenaea'' Habe, 1951 * '' Keenocardium'' Kafanov, 1974 * † '' Korobkoviella'' Merklin, 1974 * † '' Kubanocardium'' Muskhelishvili, 1965 * ''
Laevicardium ''Laevicardium'', common name "egg cockles", is a genus of saltwater clams or cockles, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called c ...
'' Swainson, 1840 * † '' Lahillia'' Cossmann, 1899 * † '' Limnodacna'' Eberzin, 1936 * † '' Limnopagetia'' Schlickum, 1963 * † '' Limnopappia'' Schlickum, 1962 * '' Lophocardiium'' P. Fischer, 1887 * † '' Loxocardium'' Cossmann, 1886 * ''
Lunulicardia ''Lunulicardia'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. Fossils species in this genus are present in the Pliocene deposits of Indonesia and the Miocene deposits of Russia Russia (, ...
'' Gray, 1853 * † '' Luxuridacna'' Papaianopol, 1980 * † '' Lymnocardium'' Stoliczka, 1870 * '' Lyrocardium'' Meek, 1876 * '' Maoricardium'' Marwick, 1944 * † '' Merklinicardium'' S. V. Popov, 1982 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Metadacna'' Eberzin, 1959 * '' Microcardium'' Keen, 1937 * '' Microfragum'' Habe, 1951 * † '' Miricardium'' Paramonova, 1986 * '' Monodacna'' Eichwald, 1838 * † '' Moquicardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * † '' Myocardia'' Vest, 1861 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Nargicardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * ''
Nemocardium ''Nemocardium'' is a genus of bivalves belonging to the family Cardiidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the ...
'' Meek, 1876 * † '' Obsoletiformes'' Kojumdgieva, 1969 * † '' Omanidacna'' Harzhauser & Mandic, 2008 * † '' Oraphocardium'' Eberzin, 1949 * † '' Orthocardium'' Tremlett, 1950 * † '' Oxydacna'' Davitashvili, 1930 * † '' Pachydacna'' Eberzin, 1955 * † '' Pannonicardium'' Stevanović, 1951 * † '' Panticapaea'' Andrusov, 1923 * '' Papillicardium'' Sacco, 1899 * '' Papyridea'' Swainson, 1840 * † '' Papyrocardium'' Gabuniya, 1953 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Paradacna'' Andrusov, 1909 * † '' Parapscheronia'' Eberzin, 1955 * ''
Parvicardium ''Parvicardium'' is a genus of bivalves belonging to the subfamily Lymnocardiinae of the family Cardiidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Parvicardium Monterosato, 1884. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marin ...
'' Monterosato, 1884 * † '' Parvidacna'' Stevanović, 1950 * † '' Phyllocardium'' P. Fischer, 1887 * † '' Plagiocardium'' Cossmann, 1886 * † '' Plagiodacna'' Andrusov, 1903 * † '' Plagiodacnopsis'' Andrusov, 1923 * † '' Planacardium'' Paramonova, 1971 * † '' Plicatiformes'' Kojumdgieva, 1969 * † '' Pontalmyra'' Stefanescu, 1896 * ''
Pratulum ''Pratulum'' is a genus of marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae. Distribution This genus is endemic to Australia and New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consis ...
'' Iredale, 1924 * † '' Prionopleura'' Eberzin, 1949 * ''
Procardium ''Procardium'' is a genus of bivalves belonging to the subfamily Cardiinae of the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the ...
'' ter Poorten & La Perna, 2017 * † '' Prophyllicardium'' Jekelius, 1944 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Prosochiasta'' Eberzin, 1959 * † '' Prosodacna'' Tournouër, 1882 * † '' Prosodacnomya'' Eberzin, 1959 * † ''
Protocardia ''Protocardia'' is an extinct genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the subfamoly Protocardiinae of the family Cardiidae, the cockles. The internal anatomy of individuals in this genus is sometimes preserved in phosphate I ...
'' Beyrich, 1845 * † '' Protoplagiodacna'' Stevanović, 1978 * † '' Pseudocatillus'' Andrusov, 1903 * ''
Pseudofulvia ''Pseudofulvia'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the subfamily Laevicardiinae of the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, tr ...
'' Vidal & Kirkendale, 2007 * † '' Pteradacna'' Andrusov, 1907 * † '' Raricardium'' Paramonova, 1986 * † '' Replidacna'' Jekelius, 1944 * '' Ringicardium'' * † '' Schedocardia'' Stewart, 1930 * † '' Schirvanicardium'' Andreescu, 1974 * ''
Serripes ''Serripes'' is a genus of molluscs in the family Cardiidae A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the family Cardiidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2 ...
'' Gould, 1841 * † '' Stylodacna'' Stefanescu, 1896 * † '' Submonodacna'' Livental, 1931 * † '' Tauricardium'' Eberzin, 1947 * ''
Trachycardium ''Trachycardium'' is a genus of molluscs in the family Cardiidae. Fossil records This genus is known in the fossil records from the Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya) ...
'' Mörch, 1853 * ''
Tridacna ''Tridacna'' is a genus of large saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Tridacninae, the giant clams. They have heavy shells, fluted with 4 to 6 folds. The mantle is brightly coloured. They inhabit shallow waters of coral re ...
'' Bruguière, 1797, the "giant clams" * † '' Tschaudia'' Davitashvili & Kitovani, 1964 * † '' Turcmena'' G. I. Popov, 1956 * '' Trigoniocardium'' * '' Vasticardium'' Iredale, 1927 * ''
Vepricardium ''Vepricardium'' is a genus of large saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Cardiinae of the family Cardiidae, the giant clams.MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Vepricardium Iredale, 1929. Accessed through: World Registe ...
'' Iredale, 1929 * † '' Uniocardium'' Capellini, 1880 (uncertain, unassessed) * † '' Yokoyamaina'' Hayami, 1958 * † '' Zamphiridacna'' Motaş, 1974


Gallery

Acrosterigma cignorum 003.jpg, Ctenocardia fornicata 002.jpg, Ctenocardia virgo 003.jpg, Trachycardium maculosum 002.jpg, Fossil Shells in Cardium Formation.jpg, Fossil Cardiidae shells (
Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...
,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
). Vasticardium berschaueri 001.jpg, ''Vasticardium berschaueri''


In cuisine and culture

Cockles are a popular type of edible
shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
in both Eastern and Western
cooking Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...
. They are collected by raking them from the sands at low tide. However, collecting cockles is hard work and, as seen from the Morecambe Bay disaster, in which 23 people died, can be dangerous if local tidal conditions are not carefully watched. In England and Wales, , people are permitted to collect 5 kg of cockles for personal use. Those wishing to collect more than this are deemed to be engaging in commercial fishing and are required to obtain a permit from the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. Cockles are a
street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
in Cambodia where it is usually steamed or boiled and served with a dipping sauce consisting of crushed peppercorns, salt and lime juice. Cockles are sold freshly cooked as a snack in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, particularly in those parts of the British coastline where cockles are abundant. Boiled, then seasoned with
malt vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...
and white
pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...
, they can be bought from seafood stalls, which also often have for sale
mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...
s,
whelk Whelk (also known as scungilli) is a common name applied to various kinds of sea snail. Although a number of whelks are relatively large and are in the family Buccinidae (the true whelks), the word ''whelk'' is also applied to some other marine ...
s,
jellied eel Jellied eels are a traditional English dish that originated in the 18th century, primarily in the East End of London. The dish consists of chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set, forming a jelly. It is usually s ...
s,
crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
s and
shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
. Cockles are also available pickled in jars, and more recently, have been sold in sealed packets (with vinegar) containing a plastic two-pronged fork. A meal of cockles fried with
bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...
, served with
laverbread Laverbread (; cy, bara lafwr or '; ga, sleabhac) is a food product made from laver, an edible seaweed (littoral alga) consumed mainly in Wales as part of local traditional cuisine. The seaweed is commonly found around the west coast of Great ...
, is known as a traditional Welsh breakfast. Boiled cockles (sometimes grilled) are sold at many
hawker centre A hawker centre or cooked food centre is an open-air complex commonly found in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. They were built to provide a more sanitary alternative to mobile hawker carts and contain many stalls that sell different variet ...
s in Southeast Asia, and are used in ''
laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...
,
char kway teow ''Char kway teow'' () is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia and is of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, ''char'' means 'stir-fried' and ''kway teow'' refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat r ...
'' and
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
. They are called ''kerang'' in
Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...
and ''see hum'' in
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
. In Japan, the Japanese egg cockle (''Laevicardium laevigatum'') is used to create torigai sushi. A study conducted in England in the early 1980s showed a correlation between the consumption of cockles, presumed to be incorrectly processed, and an elevated local occurrence of
hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...
. Cockles are an effective bait for a wide variety of sea fishes. The folk song "
Molly Malone "Molly Malone" (also known as "Cockles and Mussels" or "In Dublin's Fair City") is a traditional song set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become its unofficial anthem. A statue representing Molly Malone was unveiled on Grafton Street by then Lo ...
" is also known as "Cockles and Mussels" because the title character's sale of the two foods is referred to in the song's refrain. The shells of cockles are mentioned in the English nursery rhyme "
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is an English language, English nursery rhyme. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19626. Lyrics ...
". Cockles are also eaten by the indigenous peoples of North America. File:Cockle.jpg, Empty cockle shell on the beach File:Morecambe-bay-cockle-picking.jpg, Bags of cockles picked from
Morecambe Bay Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second larges ...


Alternative meanings

The common
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
phrase " it warms the cockles of my heart", is used to mean that a feeling of deep-seated contentment has been generated. Differing derivations of this phrase have been proposed, either directly from the perceived heart-shape of a cockleshell, or indirectly (the
scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
for the type genus of the family is ''Cardium'', from the Latin for heart), or from the Latin diminutive of the word heart, corculum. Another proposed derivation is from the Latin for the ventricles of the heart, ''cochleae cordis'', where the second word is an inflected form of ''cor'', heart, while ''cochlea'' is the Latin for snail.


References

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External links

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Cockles

Nutrition Facts for Cockles
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Poorten, J.J. ter, 2005. Outline of a systematic index - Recent Cardiidae (Lamarck, 1809). VISAYA net. (Updated 2009 for WoRMS)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockle (Bivalve) Commercial molluscs Seafood in Native American cuisine Street food Welsh cuisine British seafood dishes