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Quahog, Littleneck, Hard Clam, Hardshell Clam

Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus)

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By Alan Davidson

Published 1980

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Family Veneridae

REMARKS Maximum length about 13 cm. The more or less oval shell has a dull coloration outside – dirty white, brown or greyish, sometimes with zigzag red markings near the margins – and is purplish inside.

The quahog (pronounced co-hog) is a native of North America, but has established for itself (via the kitchens of ocean liners) English colonies in Southampton Water and Portsmouth harbour; a piece of private molluscan enterprise which has prompted human entrepreneurs to start the culture of quahogs in the Isle of Wight. The species has also been introduced to the basin of the River Seudre in France. The French call it β€˜clam’. It has also been introduced to certain harbours in the south of Ireland.

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