OYSTER, CLAM, SCALLOP, AND A B ALONE FISHERIES 187 



as an item of trade with areas removed from the sea coast. Today with 

 high speed transportation and refrigeration, the clam and its products 

 are available in all parts of the country. Clam bakes, in which clams 

 with vegetables were baked in pits lined with hot stones, probably 

 originated with the Indians. This manner of preparing the bivalve is 

 still a popular attraction with tourists and picnic parties. 



As is usual with a new and apparently unlimited resource, the clam 

 industry suffered from overfishing and the beds began to decline in pro- 

 ductivity. To save the industry from extinction, studies undertaken led 

 to the establishment of clam farms. As the farms proved successful the 

 numbers of farmed beds increased and in some areas the clam farms are 

 an important source of supply. 



Clams are found all along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Mexico. 

 Some species, such as Mya arenaria, are found in limited quantities as 

 far north as the Arctic regions. The most intensive clam fisheries are 

 concentrated in Maine, Massachusetts, and especially New Jersey, 

 although the industry is of importance in all other Atlantic Coast states. 

 North of New York the soft clam, Mya arenaria, is of particular impor- 

 tance. Farther south the hard clam, Venus mercenaria, is the basis of 

 the industry. Other species such as the surf clam, Spisula solidissima, 

 and the ocean or deep water quahog, Arctica islandica, are important 

 commercially. The latter species is found in water up to 20 fathoms in 

 depth and is taken only by dredges. The quahog now supplies a con- 

 siderable portion of the minced meat used in canned clam chowders. 



On the Pacific Coast, clams are found from Alaska to Mexico. The 

 clam Siliqiia patula, called ''razor" clam because of the long shell, is in 

 demand as a fresh and canned product. Since its habitat is on exposed 

 sandy beaches having active surf action, the razor clam has become a 

 great attraction for the summer tourists. Although regulations limit the 

 number of clams each digger may take on a tide to save the species 

 from overfishing, many millions of these clams are taken yearly. Other 

 species of importance are the Tivela stultorum, the Pismo clam of Cali- 

 fornia; the little neck clam, Protothaca staminea; and the butter clam, 

 Saxidomus nuttalli, of the Oregon, Washington, and northern coast to 

 Alaska. The eastern soft shell clam, Mya arenaria, has been introduced 

 to the West Coast probably with eastern oyster seed shipments. 



One peculiar clam of no commercial importance is the giant geoduck 

 clam, Panope generosa. This species is found only in limited areas in 

 Puget Sound. Although the clam is buried to a depth of two or three 

 feet, the siphon is capable of reaching to the surface of the ground. 

 Individuals have been found that weighed seven to eight pounds. The 

 geoduck is highly regarded as a food clam but the take is rigidly restricted 



