Clams

The poor clam has taken a back seat to the regal oyster. While oysters starred as Oysters Rockefeller at city restaurants, clams either were used as bait or served fried at roadside clam shacks. While clams lack the regal image of the oyster, they still represent a valuable fishery product. Five species of clams make up the bulk of the U.S. commercial harvest: surf clam (Spisula solidissima), ocean quahog (Arctica islandica), hard-shell clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria), and Manila clam (Tapes philippinarum).