07/09/2026
Meet the boring piddock… which, incidentally, is what my friends have started calling me since my shell journey began! 😂🐚
But piddocks aren’t boring at all. They’re extraordinary little bivalves that use the rough ridges on their shells to slowly drill into firm clay and soft rock, creating a snug burrow where they may spend the rest of their lives.
I’ve seen them living inside their clay burrows, with just the very tips visible. You can find evidence of them on the Sandbar at Hayling Island and among the exposed clay at Bracklesham Beach at low tide.
Safely tucked away, the piddock extends its long siphons into the seawater. One draws in water carrying oxygen and tiny particles of food, while the other sends the filtered water back out again — a rather clever built-in feeding and breathing system!
There are several species of piddock, and their long, beautifully sculptured shells are sometimes known as “angel wings.” Delicate, brittle and absolutely exquisite, their fine ridges really do resemble the feathers of a wing.
Some empty piddock shells may also have a tiny, almost perfectly round hole in them — evidence that a predatory sea snail once drilled through the shell to reach the animal inside. Beautiful, but a little brutal!
If you spot a living piddock tucked into the clay, admire it where it is and leave it safely inside its remarkable little home. 🤍🐚
Definitely fascinating. Definitely exquisite. And definitely not boring!
