New Zealand cockles (Austrovenus stutchburyi)

Austrovenus stutchburyi , common names are tuaki, tuangi or New Zealand cockle, and they are widespread in sediments ranging from soft mud to soft, silty sand across New Zealand harbours and estuaries from the mean tide level to low tide. These bivalve molluscs are endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand and play a vital role in marine ecosystems.