It is one of the rarest species of marine mollusc in the United Kingdom - so rare that surveys of nearly 9,000 sites around Britain between 1987 and 1998 found none.

[1] Atrina fragilis prefers to reside on the sublittoral fringe and subtidal muds in order to embed itself or attach its byssal threads to small stones underneath the softer substrate.

[1] Efforts are being made to identify Atrina fragilis larvae to implement effective conservation of the rare species.

[1] The shells are anchored to the sand by fine gold-coloured silk produced by special glands located in the muscular foot.

[1] However, concurrent molecular and morphological analyses indicate that early-stage larvae were present in the water column during late summer and early autumn.

[1] This suggest that A. fragilis follows the same pattern of spawning in the summer and winter season that is found in other pinnids at temperate latitudes.

[1] The pelagic larval stage is believed to be four months in length before settling in the benthic region as adult bivalves.

[1] This technique will allow scientists to identify fan mussel habitats and oceanic larval distribution so that in the future proper conservation efforts may be implemented in those areas.

[1] Conservation efforts of the fan mussel are hindered due to the very limited knowledge scientists have of the life cycle and breeding season.