Paphies subtriangulata
Encyclopedia
Paphies subtriangulata is a species of edible bivalve
clam
known as tuatua in the Māori
language, a member of the family
Mesodesmatidae
and endemic
to New Zealand
. It is found on all three of the main New Zealand islands, buried in fine clean sand on ocean beaches.
The large shell is asymmetrical, with the hinge at one side. Its closest relative, the pipi (Paphies australis
), has a symmetrical shell,
The soft parts of the animal are an edible delicacy, made into fritter
s or boiled and served on the shell. Historically the species has been used as a food source by the Māori, and its shell is a common component of excavated Māori middens.
The clam burrows beneath the sand, and does so very quickly, making it a challenge to dig for at times. It also squirts water when threatened. All tuatua are protected with legal limits on their capture. In some areas one digger may bag no more than 50 to 150 tuatuas per day, depending on location.
Bivalvia
Bivalvia is a taxonomic class of marine and freshwater molluscs. This class includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and many other families of molluscs that have two hinged shells...
clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
known as tuatua in the Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
language, a member of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Mesodesmatidae
Mesodesmatidae
Mesodesmatidae is a family of marine bivalve clams of the order Veneroida.-Genera:* Atactodea Dall, 1895* Donacilla* Mesodesma Deshayes, 1832* Monterosatus* Paphies Lesson, 1830-References:...
and endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is found on all three of the main New Zealand islands, buried in fine clean sand on ocean beaches.
The large shell is asymmetrical, with the hinge at one side. Its closest relative, the pipi (Paphies australis
Paphies australis
Paphies australis or pipi is a bivalve mollusc of the family Mesodesmatidae, endemic to New Zealand.The pipi is a shellfish with a solid white, elongated symmetrical shell with the apex at the middle. It is covered by a thin yellow periostracum...
), has a symmetrical shell,
The soft parts of the animal are an edible delicacy, made into fritter
Fritter
A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and deep fried. Although very similar to a doughnut it differs in the fact that it requires some base ingredient beyond the dough it is cooked with.-Anglo-American fritters:...
s or boiled and served on the shell. Historically the species has been used as a food source by the Māori, and its shell is a common component of excavated Māori middens.
The clam burrows beneath the sand, and does so very quickly, making it a challenge to dig for at times. It also squirts water when threatened. All tuatua are protected with legal limits on their capture. In some areas one digger may bag no more than 50 to 150 tuatuas per day, depending on location.
Subspecies
Three subspecies have been recognised:- Paphies subtriangulata subtriangulata (Wood, 1828)
Distribution: throughout North and South Islands
Maximum length is 76 mm, height 48 mm, and thickness 28 mm. - Paphies subtriangulata porrecta (MarwickJohn MarwickJohn Marwick MM was a New Zealand palaeontologist and geologist.John Marwick was born near Oamaru, New Zealand, on 3 February 1891, the son of Hugh Marwick, and his wife, Jane née Cuthbert. While at Waitaki Boys' High School he helped to collect fossil shells and learned the beginnings of how to...
, 1928)
Distribution: Chatham IslandsChatham IslandsThe Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
Maximum length: 93 mm, maximum height: 57 mm. - Paphies subtriangulata quoyii (DeshayesGérard Paul DeshayesGérard Paul Deshayes was a French geologist and conchologist.He was born in Nancy, his father at that time being professor of experimental physics in the École Centrale of the Meurthe département....
, 1832)
Distribution: throughout North and South Islands
Size: Thicker relative to length - Maximum length is 86 mm, height 65 mm, and thickness 38 mm.