Arctica islandica

Ocean quahog
A shell of Arctica islandica with the valves separated
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Venerida
Superfamily: Arcticoidea
Family: Arcticidae
Genus: Arctica
Species:
A. islandica
Binomial name
Arctica islandica
Linnaeus, 1767
The dark periostracum is flaking off this dried valve of Arctica islandica from Wales

The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a species of edible clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Arcticidae. This species is native to the North Atlantic Ocean, and it is harvested commercially as a food source. This species is also known by a number of different common names, including Icelandic cyprine,[1] mahogany clam, mahogany quahog, black quahog, and black clam.[2]

The typical Arctica islandica resembles the quahog, but the shell of the ocean quahog is rounder, the periostracum is usually black, and on the interior of the shell, the pallial line has no indentation, or sinus. Unlike the quahog, which lives intertidally and can be collected by clam digging, this species lives subtidally, and can only be collected by dredging. They grow to sizes exceeding 50 mm or two inches shell height.[3] An individual specimen was reported to have lived 507 years, making it the longest-lived non-colonial metazoan whose age was accurately known.[4]

Right and left valve of the same specimen:

  • Right valve
    Right valve
  • Left valve
    Left valve
  1. ^ Sabatini, M. & Pizzola, P.F., 2007. Arctica islandica. Icelandic cyprine. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 14 September 2007]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Arcticaislandica.htm>
  2. ^ Hackney, Cameron R.; Thomas E. Rippen (2000). "The Molluscan Shellfish Industry". In Roy E. Martin; Emily Paine Carter Jr.; George J. Flick; Lynn M. Davis (eds.). Marine and Freshwater Products Handbook. CRC Press. pp. 323–324. ISBN 1-56676-889-6.
  3. ^ R. Witbaard; M.J.N. Bergman (2003). "The distribution and population structure of the bivalve Arctica islandica L. in the North Sea: what possible factors are involved?" (PDF). Journal of Sea Research. 50 (1): 11–25. Bibcode:2003JSR....50...11W. doi:10.1016/s1385-1101(03)00039-x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-28.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).