Mactra quadrangularis is a plump, rounded-triangular clam of the tidal mudflats of China, Korea, and Japan, where people dig it up to eat. It isn't found in the US.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A swollen, roundly triangular shell about 1¾–2 in (4.5–5 cm) long, grayish white to yellowish brown, with clear concentric growth lines.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- tidal flats
- shallow sandy-mud bottoms
- Range
- Coasts of the northwestern Pacific: China, Korea, and Japan (from Miyagi Prefecture south to Kyushu). It doesn't live in North American waters.
- Preferred conditions
- Burrows in mixed sand and mud, from the lower intertidal zone down to about 65 ft (20 m).
Behavior
- Diet
- A that strains tiny algae and organic particles from the water.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Sexes are separate. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae that drift in the water for about 2–3 weeks before settling and burrowing into the sediment.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Formerly called Mactra veneriformis; current classification uses Mactra quadrangularis. It has no widely used English name.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Its Japanese name, shiofuki, means "salt-water squirter," because it sprays water from its siphon.
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