Washington clam (Uchimurasakigai)

Japanese: ウチムラサキガイ(内紫貝) - ウチムラサキガイ（英語表記）Washington clam

A bivalve mollusc of the Veneridae family with a deep purple shell on the inside, sold under the name Giant Clam (illustration). The shell is 8.5 cm long, 6.5 cm high, and bulges 4 cm, and is a thick, rounded rectangle with a slight opening between the two shells at the rear end. The surface is yellowish-white with rough growth ribs at the rear, but when young, it is white and has clear light brown radial bands. The inside of the shell is deep purple, but when young, it is white and becomes purple as it grows. The mantle line where the mantle membrane is attached is deeply indented from the rear to the front, and this indentation was likened to Amanohashidate, and a picture of a pine forest was painted on it, resulting in the name Hashidategai.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

オオアサリの名で売られている，殻の内面が濃紫色のマルスダレガイ科の二枚貝（イラスト）。殻は長さ8.5cm，高さ6.5cm，膨らみ4cmになり，厚くまるみある長方形で，後端は両殻の間がわずかに開く。表面は成長肋が後方で粗く，黄白色であるが，幼貝のときは白色で，淡褐色の放射帯が明らかである。また殻の内面は濃紫色であるが，幼貝のときは白色で，成長するとともに紫色を帯びてくる。外套（がいとう）膜の付着する套線は後方から前方へ深く湾入するが，この湾入線を天橋立に見立てそれに松林の絵を描いてみやげ物にしたのでハシダテガイの名がある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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