Clam is a

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

for several kinds of

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 ...

. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from " eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

and live as

infauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

, spending most of their

lives Lives may refer to: * The plural form of a ''life'' * Lives, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * The number of lives in a video game * ''Parallel Lives'', aka ''Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans'', a series of biographies of famous m ...

halfway buried in the

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

of the

sea floor The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as seabeds. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of ...

riverbeds A streambed or stream bed is the bottom of a stream or river and is confined within a channel or the banks of the waterway. Usually, the bed does not contain terrestrial (land) vegetation and instead supports different types of aquatic vegeta ...

. Clams have two shells of equal size connected by two adductor muscles and have a powerful burrowing foot. They live in both freshwater and marine environments; in

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wate ...

they prefer to burrow down into the mud and the

turbidity Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and wa ...

of the water required varies with

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), ...

and location; the greatest diversity of these is in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Clams in the culinary sense do not live attached to a substrate (whereas

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

s and

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...

s do) and do not live near the bottom (whereas

scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related famili ...

s do). In culinary usage, clams are commonly eaten marine bivalves, as in

clam digging Clam digging is a North American term for a common way to harvest clams (edible infaunal bivalve mollusks) from below the surface of the tidal sand flats or mud flats where they live. It is done both recreationally (for enjoyment or as a ...

and the resulting soup,

clam chowder Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ...

. Many edible clams such as palourde clams are ovoid or triangular; however,

razor clam Razor clam is a common name for long, narrow, saltwater clams (which resemble a closed straight razor in shape), including: * Atlantic jackknife clam, ''Ensis leei'' (syn. ''Ensis directus'') * Gould's razor shell, ''Solen strictus'' * Pacific razo ...

s have an elongated parallel-sided shell, suggesting an old-fashioned straight razor. Some clams have life cycles of only one year, whilst at least

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

has been aged to more than 500 years. All clams have two calcareous shells or

valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings, ...

joined near a hinge with a flexible ligament and all are

filter feeder Filter feeders are aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a s ...

Anatomy

Clam with its siphon out in Boothbay Maine

A clam's shell consists of two (usually equal) valves, which are connected by a hinge joint and a ligament that can be internal or external. The ligament provides tension to bring the valves apart, whilst one or two adductor muscles can contract to close the valves. Clams also have kidneys, a heart, a mouth, a stomach, and a nervous system. Many have a

siphon A siphon (; also spelled syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in an inverted "U" shape, which causes a liquid to flow upward, abo ...

Food source and ecology

Clams are shellfish that make up an important part of the web of life that keeps the seas functioning, both as filter feeders and as a food source for many different animals. Extant mammals that eat clams include both the Pacific and Atlantic species of

walrus The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large pinniped marine mammal with discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only extant species in the family Odobeni ...

, all known subspecies of

harbour seals The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

in both the Atlantic and Pacific, most species of

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

s, including the

California sea lion The California sea lion (''Zalophus californianus'') is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lions. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of Califo ...

bearded seal The bearded seal (''Erignathus barbatus''), also called the square flipper seal, is a medium-sized pinniped that is found in and near to the Arctic Ocean. It gets its Genus, generic name from two Greek language, Greek words (''eri'' and ''gnathos ...

s and even species of river otters that will consume the freshwater species found in Asia and North America. Birds of all kinds will also eat clams if they can catch them in the

littoral zone The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely flood ...

roseate spoonbills The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a social wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of th ...

of North and South America, the

Eurasian oystercatcher The Eurasian oystercatcher (''Haematopus ostralegus'') also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long st ...

whooping crane The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is an endangered Crane (bird), crane species, native to North America, named for its "whooping" calls. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to ...

and

common crane The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the crane (bird), cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') an ...

, the

American flamingo The American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber'') is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies, northern South America (including the Galápagos Islands) and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is closely related to the greater flamingo and ...

of Florida and the Caribbean Sea, and the

common sandpiper The common sandpiper (''Actitis hypoleucos'') is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its Americas, American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (''A. macularia''), make up the genus ''Actitis''. They are parapatric and replace each other ge ...

are just a handful of the numerous birds that feast on clams all over the world. Most species of

octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

have clams as a staple of their diet, up to and including the giants like the

Giant Pacific octopus The giant Pacific octopus (''Enteroctopus dofleini''), also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus '' Enteroctopus'' and Enteroctopodidae family. Its spatial distribution encompasses much o ...

Culinary

Cultures around the world eat clams along with many other types of shellfish.

North America

In culinary use, within the eastern coast of the United States and large swathes of

the Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of ...

of Canada, the term "clam" most often refers to the

hard clam The hard clam (''Mercenaria mercenaria''), also known as the round clam, hard-shell (or hard-shelled) clam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince ...

, ''

Mercenaria mercenaria The hard clam (''Mercenaria mercenaria''), also known as the round clam, hard-shell (or hard-shelled) clam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince ...

''. It may also refer to a few other common edible species, such as the

soft-shell clam Soft-shell clams (American English) or Sand gaper (British English/Europe), scientific name ''Mya arenaria'', popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams", are a species of edible saltwater clam, a ...

, ''Mya arenaria'', and the ocean quahog, ''

Arctica islandica The ocean quahog (''Arctica islandica'') is a species of edible clam, a marine (ocean), marine bivalve mollusc, mollusk in the family Arcticidae. This species is native to the North Atlantic Ocean, and it is harvested commercially as a food sou ...

''. Another species commercially exploited on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Coast of the United States is the surf clam, '' Spisula solidissima''.

Scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related famili ...

s are also used for food nationwide, but not

cockles Cockle may refer to: * Cockle (bivalve), an edible, marine bivalve mollusc * ''Lolium temulentum'' (also cockle), an annual plant of the family Poaceae * Berwick cockle, a white-coloured sweet with red stripes * ''Cockle'', a codename for the fo ...

: they are more difficult to get than in Europe because of their habit of being further out in the tide than European species on the West Coast, and on the East Coast they are often found in salt marshes and mudflats where mosquitoes are abundant. There are several edible species in the Eastern United States: '' Americardia media,'' also known as the strawberry cockle, is found from Cape Hatteras down into the Caribbean Sea and all of Florida; '' Trachycardium muricatum'' has a similar range to the strawberry cockle; and ''

Dinocardium robustum ''Dinocardium'' is a genus of large saltwater clams or cockles, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. There is only one species in the genus, ''Dinocardium robustum'', or the Atlantic giant cockle. Description ''Dinocard ...

'', which grows to be many times the size of the European cockle. Historically, they were caught on a small scale on the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...

, barrier islands off North Carolina, and put in soups, steamed or pickled. Up and down the coast of the Eastern U.S., the bamboo clam, ''Ensis directus'', is prized by Americans for making

clam strips Fried clams are clams dipped in milk, floured, and deep-fried. Fried clams are an iconic food, "to New England, what barbecue is to the South". They tend to be served at seaside clam shacks (roadside restaurants). Clam rolls are fried clams serv ...

, although because of its nature of burrowing into the sand very close to the beach, it cannot be harvested by mechanical means without damaging the beaches. The bamboo clam is also notorious for having a very sharp edge of its shell, and when harvested by hand must be handled with great care. On the U.S. West Coast, there are several species that have been consumed for thousands of years, evidenced by

midden A midden is an old dump for domestic waste. It may consist of animal bones, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human oc ...

s full of clamshells near the shore and their consumption by nations including the

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, Indigenous languages of California See also

* Pentateuch (dis ...

of California, the

Nisqually Nisqually, Niskwalli, or Nisqualli may refer to: People * Nisqually people, a Coast Salish ethnic group * Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, federally recognized tribe ** Nisqually Indian Reservation, the tribe's reservation in ...

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

and the

Tsawwassen Tsawwassen ( ) is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsul ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. The butter clam, ''

Saxidomus gigantea ''Saxidomus gigantea'' is a large, edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Veneridae, the venus clams. It can be found along the western coast of North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands to San Francisco Bay. Commo ...

'', the Pacific razor clam, ''

Siliqua patula The Pacific razor clam, ''Siliqua patula'', is a large mollusc native to North America belonging to the family Pharidae. Pacific razor clams are Sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic, but as with all clams, there is no way to tell the difference b ...

,'' gaper clams ''

Tresus capax ''Tresus'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Mactridae. Many of them are known under the common name the horse clam or as species of gaper clam. They are similar to geoducks. Species Species within the genus ' ...

'', the geoduck clam, ''

Panopea generosa The Pacific geoduck ( ; ''Panopea generosa'') is a species of very large Saline water, saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from the Lushootseed name, . The geoduck is native to the coastal waters of the eastern ...

'' and the Pismo clam, '' Tivela stultorum'' are all eaten as delicacies. Clams can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, baked or fried. They can also be made into

, clams casino,

clam cakes Clam cakes (also known as clam fritters) are a part of New England cuisine, most commonly found in Rhode Island although they can also be found in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. They are balls of battered clams which have been deep-fried ...

, or stuffies, or they can be cooked using hot rocks and seaweed in a

New England clam bake The clambake or clam bake, also known as the New England clambake, is a traditional method of cooking seafood, such as lobster, mussels, crabs, scallops, soft-shell clams, and quahogs. The food is traditionally cooked by steaming the ingred ...

. On the West Coast, they are an ingredient in making

cioppino Cioppino (, ; from ) is a fish stew originating in San Francisco, California, an Italian-American cuisine related to various fish soups in Italian cuisine. Description Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in San Fr ...

and local variants of

ceviche Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche () is a cold dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific O ...

Asia

India

Clams are eaten more in the coastal regions of India, especially in the Konkan,

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

and coastal regions of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

regions. In

, clams are used to make curries and fried with coconut. In the

Malabar region The Malabar Coast () is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. It generally refers to the western coastline of India stretching from Konkan to Kanyakumari. Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regions of the subcontin ...

it is known as "elambakka" and in middle kerala it is known as "kakka". Clam curry made with coconut is a dish from Malabar especially in the

Thalassery Thalassery () (also called Tellicherry) is a city and municipality on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe and Kozhikode. Thalassery municipality has a population of just under ...

region. On the southwestern coast of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, also known as the

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

region of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, clams are used in curries and side dishes, like Tisaryachi Ekshipi, which is clams with one shell on.

Beary The Beary (also known as Byari) are a community concentrated along the southwest coast of India, mostly in the Mangalore district of the south Indian state of Karnataka. The Beary community of Tulunadu is one among the earliest Muslim ...

Muslim households in the

Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...

region prepare a main dish with clams called Kowldo Pinde. In

Udupi Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...

and

regions, it is called in the local

Tulu language The Tulu language (, Tigalari script: , Kannada script: , Malayalam script: ; ) is a Dravidian language whose speakers are concentrated in Dakshina Kannada and in the southern part of Udupi of Karnataka in south-western India and al ...

. It is used to prepare many dishes like , , and .

Japan

In Japan, clams are often an ingredient of mixed seafood dishes. They can also be made into

hot pot Hot pot ( zh, c=, s=wikt:火锅, 火锅, t=wikt:火鍋, 火鍋, p=huǒguō, l=fire pot, first=t) or hotpot, also known as steamboat, is a dish (food), dish of soup/stock (food), stock kept simmering in a cooking pot, pot by a heat source on ...

miso soup is a traditional Japan, Japanese soup consisting of miso paste mixed with a ''dashi'' Stock (food), stock. It is commonly served as part of an meal, meaning "one soup, three dishes," a traditional Japanese meal structure that includes rice, sou ...

tsukudani is thinly-sliced seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin. As a flavorful accompaniment to plain rice, ''tsukudani'' is made salty enough to not go bad, allowing high osmotic pressure to preserve the ingredients fr ...

. The more commonly used varieties of clams in Japanese cooking are the Shijimi (''

Corbicula japonica ''Corbicula japonica'' is an edible species of brackishwater clam, a bivalve mollusk in the family Cyrenidae, the basket clams. Its common names include Japanese basket clam, Japanese blue clam, and shijimi (its Japanese name). Summary Japan ...

''), the Asari (''

Venerupis philippinarum ''Ruditapes philippinarum'', the Manila clam, is an edible species of saltwater clam in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. Common names include Manila clam, Japanese littleneck clam, Japanese cockle, and Japanese carpet shell.Cohen, A.N. 2011' ...

'') and the Hamaguri (''

Meretrix lusoria ''Meretrix lusoria'', the hamaguri, Asian hard clam or common Orient clam, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. This species is native to Asia, originally described around the waters ...

'').

Europe

Great Britain

The rocky terrain and pebbly shores of the seacoast that surrounds

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

provide ample habitat for shellfish including clams. Historically, British cuisine has been more heavily based on beef and dairy products than seafood, although there is evidence going back to before most recorded history of coastal shell middens near Weymouth and present day York. 70% of the seafood cultivated for aquaculture or commercial harvesting is exported to the continent, though present-day younger populations are eating more of the catch than a generation ago. Staple favourites of the British public and local scavengers include the razorfish, ''

Ensis siliqua The pod razor (''Ensis siliqua'') is a coastal bivalve of European waters. It is edible and has been fished commercially, especially in Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Scotland. ''Ensis siliqua'' is also known as the razor fish, razor clam or giant ...

'', a slightly smaller cousin of the bamboo clam of eastern North America. These can be found for sale in open-air markets like Billingsgate Market in London; they have a similar taste to their North American cousin. Cockles, specifically the

common cockle The common cockle (''Cerastoderma edule'') is a species of edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. It is found in waters off Europe, from Iceland in the north, south into waters off western Africa a ...

, are a staple find on beaches in western Wales and further north in the

Dee Estuary The Dee Estuary () is a large estuary by means of which the River Dee flows into Liverpool Bay. The estuary starts near Shotton after a five-mile (8 km) 'canalised' section and the river soon swells to be several miles wide forming t ...

. The accidentally introduced hard-shell quahog is also found in British waters, mainly those near England, and does see some use in British cuisine. The Palourde clam by far is the most common native clam and it is both commercially harvested as well as locally collected, and ''

Spisula solida The surf clam (''Spisula solida'') is a medium-sized marine clam, or bivalve mollusc, found in the Eastern Atlantic from Iceland and northern Norway to Portugal and Spain. Up to long, like many clams, the surf clam is a sediment-burrowing fil ...

'', a relative of the Atlantic surf clam on the other side of the Atlantic, is seeing increased interest as a food source and aquaculture candidate; it is mainly found in the British Isles in Europe.

Italy

In Italy, clams are often an ingredient of mixed seafood dishes or are eaten together with pasta. The more commonly used varieties of clams in Italian cooking are the '' vongola'' ''(

Venerupis decussata ''Venerupis decussata'' is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae, commonly known as the cross-cut carpet shell. Taxonomy The species name ''Venerupis decussata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) is considered valid by the World Register of Marine Sp ...

)'', the '' cozza'' ''(Mytilus galloprovincialis)'' and the ''

tellina ''Tellina'' is a widely distributed genus of marine (ocean), marine bivalve molluscs, in the family (biology), family Tellinidae. It is also known as "tellin" in English. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Tellina'': ...

'' ''(

Donax trunculus The truncate donax,, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, USA. onsulted 27-09-2021 abrupt wedge shell, wedge clam or coquina clamdattero di mare'' ''(Lithophaga lithophaga)'' was once eaten,

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing Fish stocks, fish stock), resu ...

drove it to the verge of extinction (it takes 15 to 35 years to reach adult size and could only be harvested by smashing the calcarean rocks that form its habitat) and the Italian government has declared it an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

since 1998 and its harvest and sale are forbidden.

Religion

In Islam, clams are considered

halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

in three Sunni

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

s, but not in Hanafi, as only

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

are considered halal in

Hanafi jurisprudence The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the use of reasoning ...

, not other aquatic animals. In Judaism, clams are not

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...

As currency

Some species of clam, particularly ''

'', were in the past used by the

Algonquians The Algonquians are one of the most populous and widespread North American indigenous American groups, consisting of the peoples who speak Algonquian languages. They historically were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and in the interior reg ...

of Eastern North America to manufacture

wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...

, a type of sacred

jewellery Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...

; and to make

shell money Shell money is a medium of exchange similar to coin money and other forms of commodity money, and was once commonly used in many parts of the world. Shell money usually consisted of whole or partial sea shells, often worked into beads or otherw ...

Species

Edible: *

Ark clam Ark clam is the common name for a family of small to large-sized saltwater clams or marine bivalve molluscs in the family Arcidae. Generally less than 80 mm long, ark clams vary both in shape and size. They number about 200 species worldwide. T ...

s, family Arcidae (most popular in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

) *

Atlantic jackknife clam The Atlantic jackknife clam, ''Ensis leei'', also known as the bamboo clam, American jackknife clam or razor clam, is a large edible marine bivalve mollusc found on the North American Atlantic coast, from Canada to South Carolina. The species ...

: '' Ensis directus'' *

Atlantic surf clam The Atlantic surf clam (''Spisula solidissima''), also called the bar clam, hen clam, skimmer or simply sea clam, is a very large, edible, saltwater clam or marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mactridae. It is one of the most commonly found s ...

: '' Spisula solidissima'' *Common cockle: ''

Cerastoderma edule The common cockle (''Cerastoderma edule'') is a species of edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cardiidae, the cockles. It is found in waters off Europe, from Iceland in the north, south into waters off western Africa a ...

'' (Native to most of Europe, with very large populations in Ireland and Great Britain) *Atlantic Giant Cockle: ''

'' *

Geoduck The Pacific geoduck ( ; ''Panopea generosa'') is a species of very large saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from the Lushootseed name, . The geoduck is native to the coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific ...

: '' Panopea abrupta'' or '' Panope generosa'' (largest burrowing clam in the world) *Gould's razor shell, ''

Solen strictus Gould's razor shell (''Solen strictus'') is a bivalve mollusc of the family Solenidae. It is common in Japan in sandy coastal zones of the western, southern and northeastern coasts, and also in South Korea, China and Taiwan. It lives on the sandy ...

'' (popular in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan) * Grooved carpet shell: ''

Ruditapes decussatus ''Ruditapes'' is a genus of marine (ocean), marine bivalve molluscs, in the family (biology), family Veneridae. Species * ''Ruditapes aureus'' * ''Ruditapes bruguieri'' * ''Ruditapes decussata'' * ''Ruditapes decussatus'' * ''Ruditapes japo ...

'' *

Hard clam The hard clam (''Mercenaria mercenaria''), also known as the round clam, hard-shell (or hard-shelled) clam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince ...

or Northern Quahog: ''

'' (Native to Eastern USA and Maritime Canada'')'' *Lyrate Asiatic hard clam: '' Meretrix lyrata'' *Manila clam: ''

'' *

Ocean quahog The ocean quahog (''Arctica islandica'') is a species of edible clam, a marine (ocean), marine bivalve mollusc, mollusk in the family Arcticidae. This species is native to the North Atlantic Ocean, and it is harvested commercially as a food sou ...

: ''

'' *

Pacific razor clam The Pacific razor clam, ''Siliqua patula'', is a large mollusc native to North America belonging to the family Pharidae. Pacific razor clams are sexually dimorphic, but as with all clams, there is no way to tell the difference between sexes withou ...

: ''

'' *Pipis, ''

Plebidonax deltoides ''Plebidonax deltoides'' or ''Donax deltoides'' is a small, edible saltwater clam or marine bivalve mollusc, endemic to Australia. It belongs to the family of either the Donacidae, or the related Psammobiidae. It is most widely known as the pi ...

'' and ''

Paphies australis ''Paphies australis'' or pipi (from the Māori language) is a bivalve mollusc of the family (biology), family Mesodesmatidae, endemic to New Zealand.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Paphies australis (Gmelin, 1791). Accessed through: Wo ...

'' *Pismo clam: '' Tivela stultorum'' *Pod razor clam: ''Ensis siliqua'' *Spoot: '' Ensis magnus'' *Soft clam: ''

Mya arenaria Soft-shell clams (American English) or Sand gaper (British English/Europe), scientific name ''Mya arenaria'', popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams", are a species of edible saltwater clam, a ...

'' Not usually considered edible: *

Nut clam Nuculidae is a family of small saltwater clams in the order Nuculida. Species in this family are commonly known as nut clams. The nomenclature of the Western European species in this family is still uncertain. Their systematics have been base ...

s or pointed nut clams, family

Nuculidae Nuculidae is a family (biology), family of small seawater, saltwater clams in the order (biology), order Nuculida. Species in this family are commonly known as nut clams. The nomenclature of the Western European species in this family is still u ...

Duck clam Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida. Description These clams have two short siphons, each with a horny sheath. The shell is shaped like a rounded- ...

s or

trough shell Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Venerida. Description These clams have two short siphons, each with a horny sheath. The shell is shaped like a rounded- ...

s, family

Mactridae Mactridae, common name the trough shells or duck clams, is a family (biology), family of saltwater clams, marine (ocean), marine bivalve mollusks in the order (biology), order Venerida. Description These clams have two short siphons, each with a ...

*Marsh clams, family

Corbiculidae Cyrenidae is a family of clams in the order Venerida Venerida (formerly Veneroida) is an order of mostly saltwater but also some freshwater bivalve molluscs. This order includes many familiar groups such as many clams that are valued for food ...

*File clams, family

Limidae The Limidae or file shells are members of the only family of bivalve molluscs in the order Limida. The family includes 130 living species, assigned to 10 genera. Widely distributed in all seas from shallow to deep waters, the species are usually ...

Giant clam ''Tridacna gigas'', the giant clam, is the best-known species of the giant clam genus ''Tridacna''. Giant clams are the largest living bivalve molluscs. Several other species of "giant clam" in the genus ''Tridacna'' are often misidentified as ...

: ''

Tridacna gigas ''Tridacna gigas'', the giant clam, is the best-known species of the giant clam genus ''Tridacna''. Giant clams are the largest living bivalve molluscs. Several other species of "giant clam" in the genus ''Tridacna'' are often misidentified as ...

'' This clam is native to East Asia and is edible, but should be avoided because of slow reproduction. * Asian or Asiatic clam: genus ''

Corbicula ''Corbicula'' is a genus of freshwater and brackish water clams, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Cyrenidae, the basket clams.Gofas, S. (2015). Cyrenidae Gray, 1847. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Sp ...

'' *

Peppery furrow shell ''Scrobicularia plana'', the peppery furrow shell, is a bivalve mollusc belonging to the family Semelidae. Taxonomy Although ''Scrobicularia plana'' is the only species currently recognized by ITIS in the genus ''Scrobicularia''; World Register ...

: ''

Scrobicularia plana ''Scrobicularia plana'', the peppery furrow shell, is a bivalve mollusc belonging to the family Semelidae. Taxonomy Although ''Scrobicularia plana'' is the only species currently recognized by ITIS in the genus ''Scrobicularia''; World Register ...

References

External links

"Deep In The Ocean A Clam That Acts Like A Plant"

Science Daily ''ScienceDaily'' is an American website launched in 1995 that aggregates press releases and publishes lightly edited press releases (a practice called churnalism) about science, similar to Phys.org and EurekAlert!. History The site was f ...

March 2, 2007
Hardshell Clams
{{Authority control Mollusc common names Mollusc products New England cuisine category:Cuisine of the Southwestern United States