897 



Idler, D. R., and P. Wiseman. 1971. 



Sterols of molluscs. Internatl. J. Biochem. 2(11): 516-528. 



Seven pelecypod species were investigated, but no member of the family 

 Veneridae. Cholesterol was the major sterol in most pelecypods examined. 



- J.L.M. 



393 



Idler, D. R., and P. Wiseman. 1972. 



Molluscan sterols: A review. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 29(4): 385-398. 



"Chalinasterol" and "ostreasterol" are mentioned as examples of an erroneous 

 identification of a poorly characterized heterogeneous sterol mixture. A 

 new sterol was isolated by Bergmann (1934) from V. mevoenavia, 2 other 

 pelecypods, and 2 gastropods. He called it "ostreasterol", thinking it was 

 isomeric with stigmasterol. Later he suggested it was identical with 

 "chalinasterol", which had been isolated by others. The sterol was assigned 

 the structure A ^' ^ ' ' -campestadiene-3£-ol , on evidence based solely on 

 resemblance of physical properties. Isolation and identification of 24- 

 methylenecholesterol in the mid-1950s cleared the confusion and proved both 

 sterols were heterogeneous. Thompson (1964 - abstracted elsewhere in this 

 bibliography) found that fats made up 2% of the meat and sterols an average 

 of 0.08% of the meat in Mercenaria mevaenaria. (Abstracter's note: because 

 the identifications of Bergmann apparently were in error, we did not search 

 for his papers.) - J.L.M. 



899 



Ingersoll, Ernest. 1887. 



The oyster, scallop, clam, mussel and abalone industries. In The fisheries 



and fishery industries of the United States, by G. Brown Goode and a staff of 



associates. Sect. V, Vol. II, Pt. XX, U.S. Comm. Fish Fisheries: 507-626 

 (b) -Fishery for quahaugs : 595-608. 



The quahaug Venus mercenaria stands next to Mya arenaria in commercial 

 importance. The common name is sometimes pronounced quaw'g, and farther 

 east, pooquaw or poquau. Size, shape, and color are described. It is very 

 abundant from Cape Cod to Fla. North of Cape Cod it is relatively rare and 

 local. On the coast of Maine and the Bay of Fundy it occurs in only a few 

 special localities, in small, sheltered bays where the water is shallow and 

 warm. In the southern parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the water is 

 shallow and much warmer than on the coast of Maine, it again occurs in some 

 abundance, constituting a genuine southern colony with other similar species, 

 surrounded north and south by boreal fauna. Quahaugs are on sandy and muddy 

 flats just below low water mark, and also on oyster beds where these do not 

 form rocky reefs. It spends much of its time crawling about with shell 

 upright and partly exposed, leaving behind a well-plowed furrow. The broad 

 opening of the mantle allows the foot to be extended from any part of the 

 ventral side. Foot and mantle edges are white, siphon tubes yellowish or 

 brownish-orange toward the end, more or less mottled or streaked with dark 

 brown or sometimes with opaque white. Flesh of very old clams loses its 

 white color and becomes a dirty yellow-brown. Young sometimes are present 

 in tremendous numbers. In summer 1870 the shallow sand beach opposite 

 Babylon, Long Island, N.Y. was crowded for 10 miles with young quahaugs from 

 pin-head size to that of a silver 3-cent piece. The succeeding winter was 

 very mild and these clams survived in water only 2 to 4 feet deep. The same 

 season large numbers were deposited at East Point, in Raritan Bay, N.J. , 

 where they were so thick that a handful of sand contained a hundred or so. 

 In Sept quahaugs begin to sink from the surface of the bottom to about 2 

 inches below, where they remain until spring. Harvesting is described in 

 some detail. In Raritan Bay a good day's catch was about 2,400 to 2,800 

 "count" clams. Clams were taken by hand, or with tongs, rakes, or dredges. 

 Indian uses of quahaugs are described in considerable detail. "Modern" clam 

 bakes also are described. Principal markets were New York and Philadelphia. 

 In the Gulf of St. Lawrence quahaugs were never eaten. Production from 



250 



