APPENDEX Tit APPENDIX III 
PROFILES OF IMPORTANT U.S. FISHERIES 
CLAMS 
The clam is a bivalve mollusk found buried in subtidal 
or intertidal beach and mud flats out to depths of over 30 
fathoms. The shells which encase the clam's body are joined 
together at the back by a hinge usually visable from the 
outside. Two prominent features of the clam's body are the 
foot and siphon or "neck." The muscular foot aids the clam 
in digging up or down in the soft sand or mud. The retract-— 
able siphon is a tubelike extension taking water in and out 
of the clam. In some species the siphon consists of the two 
tubes. The incoming water brings food and oxygen to the 
clam; the outgoing water carries the waste products away. 
In the United States almost all the clam production comes 
from New England, Middle Atlantic, and Chesapeake Bay States. 
The Pacific coast commercial clam production comes primarily 
from Washington and is small, accounting for about 1.3 per- 
cent of total 1973 landings. However, potential exists to 
increase Pacific coast clam production, especially from the 
underused clam resources of Alaska. 
Along the Atlantic coast the three clam species ranking 
highest in commercial importance are known as hard clams, 
soft clams, and surf clams. Hard clams are highest in value 
while surf clams are largest in volume. Most of the hard 
clam fishery landings are recorded in Middle Atlantic States 
of New York and New Jersey. Hard clam landings valued at 
$16.9 million, using exvessel prices, ranked this fishery 
sixth among Atlantic coast fisheries in 1973. Surf clams 
are harvested predominantly in the Middle Atlantic and 
Chesapeake Bay areaS with New Jersey and Virginia leading 
in production. With landings valued at $9.8 million in 
1973, this fishery ranked eighth among Atlantic coast fish- 
eries. New England and Chesapeake Bay States are the pri- 
mary soft clam production areas. In recent years Maine has 
produced most of the soft clams. The soft clam fishery 
ranked 11th among Atlantic coast fisheries in 1973 with 
landings valued at $6.9 million. 
STATUS OF FISHERIES 
Current harvest 
Landings of hard, soft, surf, and other clams in 1975 
were 111 million pounds worth a record $41 million. The 
quantity landed in 1975 is lower than record landings of 
119.9 million pounds in 1974. This decrease was due prin- 
cipally to a decline in surf clam landings from a record 
level of 96.1 million pounds in 1974 to 86.9 million pounds. 
Landings and value of the clam fisheries from 1965 to WSIS) 
are shown in Table l. 
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