Named for its distinctive triangular shape. A clam that is a perfect souvenir. The shell is smooth and glossy, often with beautiful pink or purple colouration near the hinge. The colours are brightest in young shells, fading with age as the shell becomes worn by the sand and waves. A freshly dead triangle shell, still bearing its pink blush, is a prize find for any beachcomber. A shell that is a treasure. It lives on exposed surf beaches, burrowing into the sand where waves break. The strong, triangular shape is well adapted to survive the pounding of the surf. A rounder shell would roll in the waves, tumbling end over end until it cracked. The triangle shell sits flat, its shape anchoring it in the sand. The triangle shell is often found washed up on beaches after storms. The waves tear it from its burrow, tumble it in the surf, and deposit it on the high tide line. There it lies, bleached by the sun, until a beachcomber picks it up. The shell is small enough to fit in a pocket, a perfect souvenir of a day at the beach. Despite its attractive shell, its small size means it is not often collected for eating. The flesh is sweet but tiny, barely a mouthful. It would take dozens of triangle shells to make a meal, and the effort of digging them from the surf is not worth the reward. Better to leave them in the sand, where they filter the water and feed the ecosystem. The triangle shell plays an important role in the surf beach ecosystem. The surf beach is loud. The triangle shell lies on the high tide line, pink blush fading, triangular and perfect. A beachcomber picks it up, slips it into a pocket. The shell does not know it is a souvenir. It does not know it filters water. It just wanted to be a clam. The triangle shell is small, but it is not insignificant. The triangle shell is proof.