''Panopea smithae'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of large

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine current power * Marine debris * Marine energy * Marine habitats * Mari ...

bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

in the ''

Panopea In Greek mythology, Panopea (Ancient Greek: Πανόπεια ''Panopeia'') or Panope (Πανόπη) may refer to various characters. The names mean 'panorama' or means 'of the beautiful husband'. * Panope or Poenope,Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' Preface ...

'' (geoduck) genus of the family

Hiatellidae Hiatellidae is a taxonomic family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. This family is placed in the order Adapedonta Adapedonta is an order of bivalves belonging to the class Bivalvia Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous cent ...

, found in the waters surrounding New Zealand. While its relative ''

Panopea zelandica ''Panopea zelandica'', commonly known as the deepwater clam or New Zealand geoduck, is a large species of marine bivalve mollusc in the ''Panopea'' (geoduck) genus of the family Hiatellidae. It is also sometimes called a king clam, or a gaper � ...

'' lives in shallow waters, ''P. smithae'' lives in deeper waters, ranging from deep harbours to the outer continental shelf.

References

* Powell, A.W.B. (1979). ''New Zealand Mollusca''. William Collins Publishers, Auckland, New Zealand. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7131462 Hiatellidae Bivalves of New Zealand Bivalves described in 1835