Atlantic surf clam
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic surf clam, also referred to as the "bar clam," "hen clam," "skimmer," or simply as the "sea clam," 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 well-known object to beach-goers in the northeastern United States
. People on the beach often pick up a large empty shell of this species, either to dig in the sand with, or take home to use as a decorative dish or ashtray
.
The species is exploited commercially as a food item.
to Maine
. It is a very common species.
It has also been introduced and farmed in Hokkaidō
, northern Japan. You can find them in Jekyll Island, also.
s.
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.
, 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 which tightly hold the clam's shell in the shut position. "Salvage" is typically ground up 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.
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
bivalve mollusk in the family Mactridae
Mactridae
Mactridae, also known as trough shells or duck clams, is a family of marine bivalve clams of the order Veneroida.-Characteristics:...
. It is a much larger relative of the eastern Atlantic surf clam
Surf clam
The surf clam, Spisula solida, is a medium sized marine clam or bivalve mollusc. Up to 5 cm long, like many clams it is a sediment-burrowing filter feeder.This species of clam is found at scattered locations around the British and Irish coasts....
.
The shell of this species is a well-known object to beach-goers in the northeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. People on the beach often pick up a large empty shell of this species, either to dig in the sand with, or take home to use as a decorative dish or ashtray
Ashtray
An ashtray is a receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars. Ashtrays are typically made of fireproof material such as glass, heat-resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or rock....
.
The species is exploited commercially as a food item.
Distribution
The species occurs in the northeast coast of the United States, from DelawareDelaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. It is a very common species.
It has also been introduced and farmed in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, northern Japan. You can find them in Jekyll Island, also.
Habitat
Atlantic surf clams lived buried in coarse or fine sand. They live offshore as well as in the low intertidal and surf zoneSurf zone
As ocean surface waves come closer to shore they break, forming the foamy, bubbly surface we call surf. The region of breaking waves defines the surf zone. After breaking in the surf zone, the waves continue to move in, and they run up onto the sloping front of the beach, forming an uprush of...
s.
Life habits
Surf clams that live along the New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
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
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
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 prized for its sweet flavor. About two-thirds of a surf clam's shucked weight is viable for human consumption. The meat of the clam is used as 'strips', chowderChowder
In North America Chowder is a generic name for a wide variety of seafood or vegetable stews and thickened soups, often with milk or cream. Some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit instead of flour, which is more usual...
, and sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
.
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
Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's is a chain of hotels and restaurants, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with over 1,000 restaurants...
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
Adduction
Adduction is a movement which brings a part of the anatomy closer to the middle sagittal plane of the body. It is opposed to abduction.-Upper limb:* of arm at shoulder ** Subscapularis** Teres major** Pectoralis major** Infraspinatus...
, which are the strong muscles that close the two halves of the shell and which tightly hold the clam's shell in the shut position. "Salvage" is typically ground up 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
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
and other species.