It is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae, sometimes collectively known as the venus clams.

It has a bulky, oval shell with well-defined concentric ridges.

[1] Known as praire in France, it is an expensive delicacy there, and harvesting periods and size of catch (both minimum shell size and numbers taken) have had to be strictly regulated for its conservation.

It is eaten either raw or baked in the oven with garlic butter.

The warty venus burrows in mud and sand.