Atrina fragilis, a rare and threatened species

As part of a Fond Vert Fund project, Lebco is involved in acquiring knowledge about Europe's largest Atlantic bivalve: Atrina fragilis.

 

It is a long-lived species, with slow growth (3-4cm/year maximum) and sporadic reproduction, just like the other representatives of the Pinnidae family (e.g. Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, a close cousin of Atrina but found in the Mediterranean). It was once relatively common in our coastal ecosystems and on the continental shelf, before becoming rare everywhere during the 20th century. Today, it has become a very rare species, for which there is little scientific knowledge, not only in France but also along Europe's Atlantic seaboard.

 

To make up for this glaring lack of information, we are starting by listing the localities where Atrina fragilis is present in order to compare its current and historical distribution. The aim is both to quantify historical populations and, in this context, to establish whether current populations are relics of the past or whether the species has tried to adapt to changes (natural and anthropogenic). DNA analyses will also be carried out to establish potential gene flows between coastal populations and those further offshore.