Characteristics

The common cockle has an oval, deep, and convex shell with two valves that articulate with one another, and when close, they form a heart-shaped structure, justifying its former name, the edible heart (Cardium edule).

The shell’s radial ribs, which range in number from 22 to 28 and average 25 in number, can be more or less scaly and have concentric growth lines visible within a narrow stretch. It has an external ligament, with the umbos displaced to the anterior side, and the heterodont hinge exhibits two small cardinal teeth in each valve. The right valve has two anterior and posterior teeth, while the left has only an anterior and a posterior tooth. Two siphons, the incurrent and the excurrent, characterize this species.

Its shell’s color can range from white to grayish of greater or lesser saturation, depending on the growing substrate; for instance, when its culture is in muddy areas, its color tends to be dark gray with a white and clean interior.

The cockle feeds on tiny organisms, such as plankton, which it finds in its sandy environment, trapping them in the water and filtering them with the help of its incurrent siphon. Its muscular foot with a yellow tip serves as its primary mode of movement.

According to the current legislation, the minimum size for commercialization is 25 millimeters. The association supervises the harvesting activities to comply with the requirements of the Order of the Autonomous Community of Galicia from July 27, 2012, thus, returning those specimens that do not reach this minimum so that they can continue their growth cycle.

It grows in the culture farms and receives the same care as other coexisting clam species in these growing fields in a habitat of aggregate selected substrates.

Artisanal Harvesting

The cockle produced in the Carril growing farms is cultured in well-delimited plots of land on the seabed in the intertidal zone. The shellfish growing farms extend along a stretch of sand that runs from A Concha Beach in Vilagarcía de Arousa, parallel to Compostela Beach, and ends at the Ulla river mouth between Cortegada Island and the Carril Borough, a natural environment characterized by the exceptional quality waters that are rich in nutrients for these bivalves.

The cockle is an annual cycle bivalve. In these culture farms, seeding for cockles can occur throughout the year, although it is most active from March to early January, reaching its peak from spring until mid-summer.

Fundamentally, the Carril growers perform the cockle harvesting work employing artisanal means; nevertheless, they progressively introduce new tools and techniques aiming to improve and facilitate their working conditions. For shellfish harvesting, growers used traditional tools; for instance, different types of rakes called ganchas, raños, and rastillos, depending on the water levels covering the plots.

Once the harvest is complete, the cockles are size-classified before being sent to the fish market for sale or sold directly to authorized buyers and transported to the treatment facilities, where they go through a purification procedure to ensure compliance with the health regulations for consumption.

Nutritional Benefits

The Carril cockle is marketed as both fresh and canned. It is distinguished for its nutritional values, providing proteins, Omega 3, minerals, such as calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, and different vitamins; thus, its low caloric value.

Peculiarities

Cockles have some mesmerizing facts. One of its idiosyncrasies is its adaptation ability to distinct environments, withstanding extreme environmental conditions, such as sharp falls in the salinity that are well below the usual. Another one is this species has separate sexes.

Generally, its life cycle lasts approximately three years, making it a fast-growing and short-lived species. Another intriguing fact is that the cockle has one of the longest reproductive organs concerning its size.

Desenvólvese nos parques de cultivo e reciben os mesmos coidados que as diferentes especies de ameixas coas que conviven nos devanditos parques. O seu hábitat está conformado polos substratos de áridos seleccionados.

Recolección artesanal

O berberecho producido nos parques de cultivo de Carril desenvólvese en parcelas delimitadas sobre o leito mariño na área intermareal. Máis concretamente, esténdense ao longo dun areal que vai desde a Praia da Concha de Vilagarcía de Arousa, paralelo á praia de Compostela e finaliza na desembocadura do río Ulla entre a illa de Cortegada e a parroquia de Carril, nunha contorna natural caracterizada pola excelente calidade das súas augas, moi altas en nutrientes para estes bivalvos.

O berberecho é un bivalvo de ciclo anual. Nos parques de cultivo, o berberecho seméntase todo o ano, con máis intensidade desde marzo a principios de xaneiro. As sementeiras teñen o seu maior apoxeo desde a primavera ata mediados de verán.

O traballo de recollida do berberecho realízase a través de medios artesanais, aínda que, co paso do tempo, fóronse introducindo novas técnicas e ferramentas que facilitan o traballo dos Parquistas de Carril. Para a súa recolección, utilízanse apeiros artesanais como ganchas, raños ou angazos, dependendo da lámina de auga que cubra a parcela na que se van a extraer.

Unha vez colleitado, o berberecho procédese a clasificalo por tamaños. Posteriormente, trasládase á lonxa para a súa venda ou véndese directamente a compradores autorizados para que despois póidanse levar ás depuradoras. Alí, o produto pasa por un proceso de depuración que garante que os bivalvos cumpran con todas as normativas sanitarias para o seu consumo.

Achega nutricional

O berberecho comercialízase tanto fresco como en conserva e destaca polos seus valores nutricionais. Así, este bivalvo aporta proteínas e Omega 3, ademais de minerais como o calcio, ferro, zinc, sodio, e potasio, e diferentes vitaminas. Este produto destaca polo seu moi baixa achega calórica.

Curiosidades

Os berberechos posúen algúns datos moi curiosos. Un deles é a súa capacidade de adaptarse a diferentes contornas, podendo tamén soportar condicións ambientais extremas, como baixadas de salinidade acusadas, moi por baixo do habitual. Esta especie presenta sexos separados.

Adoitan vivir aproximadamente 3 anos, polo que se considera unha especie de crecemento rápido e vida curta. Outro dato interesante é que o berberecho posúe un dos órganos reprodutores máis longos en relación co seu tamaño.