Meretrix lamarckii


Meretrix lamarckii, also called Korean clam or Korean hard clam, is a species of saltwater bivalve in the family Veneridae. It is the second species of venerid clam where doubly uniparental inheritance has been identified.

Ecology

It is a medium-sized clam which lives in sandy sediments from the subtidal zone to a depth of 20 meters. In the waters off Hyūga, Miyazaki, it spawns between late July and early September.

Relationship to humans

M. lamarckii is edible and economically important in China; commercial fishing has greatly disrupted the habitat where it lives. It is a filter feeder which primarily feeds on phytoplankton. Its shell is used to make the white stones used in Go.