The shell of Arca zebra is boldly striped in brown and white which gives it a resemblance to the wing of a wild turkey.

Around the same time the foot develops, food-seeking behavior in the substratum, the sediment at the bottom of the ocean floor, can be observed.

[6] Like other marine bivalves, the biochemical composition in the tissues of Arca zebra fluctuate in response to environmental conditions including water temperature, nutrient availability, and contaminant concentration.

[7] Contaminant inputs can also influence the levels of lead, polychlorinated biphenyl, petroleum hydrocarbons, and tributyltin (TBT) in the tissues.

Overexposure to TBT has deleterious impacts on A. zebra, including reduced feeding and increased energy expenditure.

[9] Arca zebra also lives in association with a variety of microgastropod species, gastropods that measure less than 5mm in length.

However, their ecological relationship to A. zebra is not well understood as their small size makes these species difficult to study.

As efficient filter feeders, they convert large amounts of planktonic mass into biomass usable by humans.

These fisheries employ non-selective fishing methods, resulting in significant bycatch of other molluscs, including the endangered music volute.

[12] Bycatch also frequently includes the aforementioned Akoya pearl oyster, leafy jewel box clam, and apple murex as well as non-mollusc species.