page_title: Corculum cardissa
section_title: Biology
hierarchical_section_title: Corculum cardissa / Biology
caption_attribution_description: Shells
context_page_description: Corculum cardissa, the heart cockle, is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region. It has a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates, which live within its tissues.
context_section_description: Corculum cardissa is a filter feeder. The shell gapes slightly at the ventral end and two siphons are protruded. Water is drawn in through one and expelled through the other and plankton and detritus are extracted. At the same time, water passes over the gills where oxygen is absorbed.
  Corculum cardissa is a hermaphrodite. Eggs are laid and the larvae develop with great rapidity. Within 24 hours of fertilisation, the veliger larvae have been observed to develop two valves and be swimming on the surface of the substrate. A day later, they had undergone metamorphosis and had settled on the bottom as juveniles, miniature versions of the adult bivalves.
caption: Colour variations of Corculum cardissa
exif: {}