No. I (1917) 



EDIBLE MOLLUSCS 



4; 



Pinna. 

 Tamil — Akkii (#«^). 

 In shallow water from half to five fathoms, a large species of 

 Pinna is sometimes found in great abundance. In some places, as 

 for example in the south-west of Palk Bay, they occur so close 

 inshore that bathers run great risk of cutting their feet on the 

 projecting knife-like edges of these shells. The common species 

 is our largest bivalve, running to a length of 13 inches. It is of 



Fig. 29. — The Common Pinna, x i- 

 elongated wedgeform, and lies buried in sand with its apex down- 

 wards, showing an inch or two only of the wide ventral margin 

 projecting above the bottom. In the 1905 Ceylon pearl fishery, 

 several milli©ns of pearl oysters were found in one area utilizing 

 the projecting edges of living Pinna shells as foothold. 



