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great heart cockle
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great heart cockle
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great heart cockle

clam
Also known as: Dinocardium robustum
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great heart cockle
great heart cockle Great heart cockle (Dinocardium robustum)

The term "great heart cockle" refers to a specific species of marine bivalve mollusk, Dinocardium robustum, found on the Atlantic coast of North America. It is a type of cockle, belonging to the family Cardiidae, which encompasses about 250 species of clams distributed worldwide.1

Cockles are characterized by their two equal-sized shell valves, which can be smooth or ribbed and range in color from brown to red or yellow. They typically live buried shallowly in sandy or muddy areas, feeding on microscopic organisms from the water. The great heart cockle can grow up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) in diameter.1

The phrase "cockles of the heart" is an idiom meaning the core of one's being, likely derived from a perceived resemblance between a closed cockle shell and a heart.2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. cockle
  2. cockles of the heart

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