Bivalves · Myida · Myidae

Sand Gaper

Mya arenaria

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

A large clam that lives buried up to 30 cm deep in intertidal sands and muds, connected to the surface by a long, leathery siphon it cannot fully withdraw into its shell. It feeds by filtering phytoplankton and suspended organic particles. It is a shellfish of enormous commercial importance in North America and northern Europe.

Size

5 cm – 15 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

OceanOmnivore Solitary Ocean Mollusc

24countries 39parks 26dive sites

Fun facts

Archaeological shell remains in Denmark dated to the thirteenth century indicate that it reached Europe from America several centuries before Columbus's voyages.
Its siphon is so long that it does not fit inside the shell, a trait that gives its family its name (Myidae).
Its history is a transatlantic round trip. It is native to the North Atlantic and North Pacific, died out in Europe during the glaciations and reappeared there in the thirteenth century, probably brought by the Vikings; the modern reintroduction came with nineteenth-century shipping.
In European estuaries it is one of the few invaders to have reached permanent dominance and held it without fluctuation.
It lives buried far deeper than most clams, which is why its siphon is disproportionately long.
It is an important fishery resource in North America, where it is eaten mostly fried or steamed.