Ocean Quahog

At a glance

Ocean Quahog (Arctica islandica) is a bivalve mollusk with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.

Confirmed by 338 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, and Maine the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• The oldest verified individual, nicknamed 'Ming,' was 507 years old when collected in 2006.
• Scientists determine their age by counting annual growth rings on the shell, exactly like counting tree rings.
• Grows very slowly—a 5-inch shell may represent over 100 years of growth.
• Found across the North Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to the eastern United States.
• Commercially harvested in large volumes and commonly used in clam chowder and seafood products.

Where Ocean Quahog are seen

• Nova Scotia133 iNat obs
• Massachusetts123 iNat obs
• Maine31 iNat obs
• New Brunswick17 iNat obs
• Newfoundland and Labrador16 iNat obs
• Quebec6 iNat obs

Background

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, mahogany clam, mahogany quahog, black quahog, and black clam.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Ocean Quahog article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other clams/oysters/mussels on CatchRules

• Northern QuahogMercenaria mercenaria
• Northern Horse MusselModiolus modiolus