Art and Science: Quahog

The Quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) is a bivalve mollusk, and thus part of the class Bivalvia. The shells of these animals are made of two mirror image halves, attached at a hinge.

Quahog


It's not often that I come across a whole quahog shell on the beach - normally the hinge is broken and only one half can be found. This example was whole, however, and showed off its curves and texture under a sunlit winter sky.