The Hard Shell Clam

The Hard Shell Clam
The hard shell clam is similar to the oyster in its intestinal structure, the shell is rounded symmetrically and relatively smooth on the outside, coming to a gradual peak near the hinge.

The shell is quite hard and thick. Once the larvae have developed into clams that are 1/8 – ¼ in. (0.3 – 0.6 cm) in diameter, they burrow into the mud and remain just below the surface of the ocean bottom.

The hard shell clam is found from the Maine coast to the Gulf of Mexico, but is most abundant off the Atlantic Coast from southern Massachusetts up to and including Virginia.

Hard shell clams may be harvested by hand (feeling of them with hands or feet and removing them by hand). They may also be removed from shallow water with clam rakes.

The largest quantities of this clam are harvested with scratch rakes, with tongs similar to those used to remove oysters, or with dredges. Dredges are used in comparatively deep water and may be of the basket or water jet type.
The Hard Shell Clam