Common cockle
Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status not recordedmolluscs
The common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia, order Cardiida and family Cardiidae. It belongs to the subfamily Lymnocardiinae, tribe Cerastodermatini and genus Cerastoderma, within the superfamily Cardioidea and the phylum Mollusca.
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Quick facts about the common cockle
The species was named by (Linnaeus, 1758) and is listed as living, not extinct, by the Catalogue of Life. Other English names for it are Cockle, Edible cockle, Common edible cockle and Common European cockle.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- up to 6 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- marinesrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the common cockle
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the common cockle live?
Not recorded
What is 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 far south as Senegal. The ribbed oval shells can reach 6 centimetres (2.4 in) across and are white, yellowish or brown in colour. The common cockle is harvested commercially and eaten in much of its range.
From the Wikipedia article “Common cockle” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_cockle&oldid=1353412951), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the common cockle endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the common cockle classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classBivalvia
- orderCardiida
- familyCardiidae
- genusCerastoderma
- SpeciesCerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Cardium belgicum, Cardium crenulatum, Cardium edule, Cardium edule, Cardium edule burchanae, Cardium edule var. batesoni, Cardium edule var. fulva, Cardium edule var. loppensi, Cardium edule var. maculata, Cardium edule var. major, Cardium edule var. mercatoria, Cardium edule var. regularis, Cardium mercatorium, Cardium nunninkae, Cardium obtritum, Cardium quadrarium, Cardium vulgare, Cerastoderma edule var. sinicola, Cerastoderma nunninkae
Other names and names in other languages (35)
- CockleEnglish
- Common edible cockleEnglish
- Common European cockleEnglish
- Edible cockleEnglish
- berberechuAsturian
- catxelCatalan
- escopinya de galletCatalan
- HjertemuslingDanish
- almindelig hjertemuslingDanish
- essbare HerzmuschelGerman
- gemeine HerzmuschelGerman
- Gewöhnliche HerzmuschelGerman
- berberechoSpanish
- Söödav südakarpEstonian
- coqueFrench
- coque communeFrench
- rigadeauFrench
- sourdonFrench
- CricaGalician
- berberechoGalician
- CroqueGalician
- Cuore eduleItalian
- Cardio eduleItalian
- Valgomoji širdukėLithuanian
- saueskjellNorwegian Bokmål
- kokkelDutch
- eetbare hartschelpDutch
- gewone kokkelDutch
- saueskjelNorwegian Nynorsk
- Sercówka jadalnaPolish
- BerbigãoPortuguese
- Съедобная сердцевидкаRussian
- srdcovka jedláSlovak
- HjärtmusslaSwedish
- ätlig hjärtmusslaSwedish
Relatives of the common cockle
Other species in the same genus Cerastoderma.
CompareCommon cockle vs Lagoon cockleCommon cockle vs Cerastoderma anadariformicumCommon cockle vs Cerastoderma angustatumCommon cockle vs Cerastoderma arcellum
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the common cockle?
The common cockle is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Cardiidae.
What is the scientific name of the common cockle?
The scientific name of the common cockle is Cerastoderma edule, placed in the genus Cerastoderma.
Who named the common cockle and when?
The common cockle's scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).
What other names does the common cockle have?
The common cockle is also called Cockle, Edible cockle, Common edible cockle and Common European cockle.
Is the common cockle extinct?
No, the Catalogue of Life lists the common cockle as living, not extinct.
Which order and superfamily does the common cockle belong to?
The common cockle belongs to the order Cardiida and the superfamily Cardioidea.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-cockle
“Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-cockle.
@misc{common_cockle_2026,
title = {Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-cockle},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}