Molluscs › Trough Shells

West Atlantic Surfclam

Spisula solidissima

Easily confused with

Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.

Where it is recorded

Records by month in Massachusetts.January 96, February 87, March 106, April 172, May 318, June 147, July 123, August 131, September 136, October 134, November 99, December 93.
United States4,838
Canada4,606
Massachusetts1,845
Quebec1,608
Nova Scotia1,500
New Jersey1,029
Maine677
New York504
New Brunswick398
Prince Edward Island307

Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.

Traits

Physical

  • Shell-bearingProtected by a hard shellFrom its classification

Group and habits

  • Filter feederFeeds by filtering suspended food particles from water.From its classification

Classification

KingdomAnimals · Animalia
PhylumMolluscs · Mollusca
ClassBivalves · Bivalvia
OrderVenerida
FamilyTrough Shells · Mactridae
GenusSpisula

Sources

Remember the name next time.

Practise West Atlantic Surfclam with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.