Fan Mussel (Atrina fragilis)

Key Details

Taxonomic Groups: Invertebrate > mollusc > Mollusc (marine)
Red List Status: (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)]
D5 Status:
Section 41 Status: (not listed)
Taxa Included Synonym: (none)
UKSI Recommended Name: Atrina fragilis
UKSI Recommended Authority: (Pennant, 1777)
UKSI Recommended Qualifier: (none specified)
Red List Citation: (not listed)
Notes on taxonomy/listing: (none)

Criteria

Question 1: Does species need conservation or recovery in England?
Response: Yes
Justification: The main populations occur and are recorded offshore. A few populations may occur inshore in a few sheltered locations amongst Zostera beds (e.g. Studland, Dorset & Salcombe estuary, Devon). The species occurs offshore off south and west coasts. Chief source of damage due to bottom trawling (also where most of site records arise)
Question 2: Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions?
Response: No
Justification: Inshore restrictions on boat anchoring would benefit whole eelgrass (Zostera) community and so not species specific.
Question 3: At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages?
Response: No
Justification: This species would not benefit from untargeted management

Species Assessment

Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.

Key Actions

No Key Actions Defined

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Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.