Atlantic surf clam

Taxobox
name = Atlantic surf clam


regnum = Animalia
subregnum = Metazoa
branch = Bilateria
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Bivalvia
subclassis = Heterodonta
ordo = Mactroidea
familia = Mactridae
genus = "Spisula"
species = "S. solidissima"
binomial = "Spisula solidissima"
binomial_authority = (Dillwyn, 1817)The Atlantic surf clam, "Spisula solidissima", is a western Atlantic surf clam, a very large (20 cm), edible, saltwater clam or marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mactridae. It is a much larger relative of the eastern Atlantic surf clam.

The shell of this species is a very well-known object to beach-goers in the northeastern United States. People often look for the empty shells of this species, either to dig with, or take home to use as decorative dishes or ashtrays.

Distribution

The species occurs in the northeast coast of the United States, from Delaware to Maine. It is a very common species.

It has also been introduced and farmed in northern Japan.

Habitat

Atlantic surf clams lived buried in coarse or fine sand. They live offshore as well as in the low intertidal and surf zones.

Life habits

Surf clams that live along the New Jersey coast are believed to grow to maturity in approximately seven years, far less than previously thought, according to Rutgers research at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, in Bivalve, New Jersey.

These clams use their siphons to pull in and then filter fine particles of organic matter and plankton from the surrounding seawater, in other words, like almost all clams, they are filter feeders.

Human use

This species is a commercially exploited species, long been prized for its sweet flavor. The meat of the clam is used as 'strips', chowder, and sushi.

The "tongue" or foot of the clam is commercially valuable because it is cut into long strips which are breaded and fried and served as "clam strips", first popularized by the Howard Johnson's franchise. The meat that is left over is separated from the "belly" and is referred to as "salvage" within the clam industry. This meat includes the adductor muscles which are the strong muscles that close the two halves of the shell and can tightly hold the clam's shell in the shut position.

"Salvage" is typically ground for use in chowders, sauces, and dips, and is commercially available either in cans or frozen. Locally it is available fresh.

As a side note, the substantial "belly" of the clam is used by knowledgeable fisherman as excellent bait for striped bass and other species.

References

* The Long Island Shell Club, 1988. "Seashells of Long Island", Long Island Shell Club Inc, New York State.