Clams

Like oysters, clams are filter feeders and typically live in similar intertidal habitats. They also clean water, create habitat, reproduce quickly and abundantly, and convert microscopic plankton into a more nutrient-dense food resource for larger predators. As such, farmed clams are a “Best Choice” for the table—sustainable as seafood and providing regenerative ecosystem services in the ocean. There are hundreds of edible, wild clam varieties, but only a handful of them are commonly available commercially. All can be roughly categorized as “hard-shell” or “soft-shell” clams, which has more to do with burrowing depth and the length of their siphon (none have truly soft shells).