LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

The reddish trough clam is found in sandy intertidal habitats in a wide range of environments,from temperate coasts to coral reefs. The distribution is generally pretty consistent across the different areas in Australia that they inhabit. They live in the sand of the intertidal zone. The movement of the tides brings in food particles for them. Trough clams live in aggregations of individuals of varying size and maturity. Early stages of development involve a trochophore planktonic larvae and a veliger stage. This early stage is very dispersive, and individuals can be carried great distances by ocean currents.


Figure 1: A typical sandy, intertidal habitat for M. rufescens.