Kingdom Animalia Family Psammobiidae Genus Nuttallia Order Veneroida | Superfamily Tellinoidea Phylum Mollusca Rank Species Subclass Heterodonta | |
Similar Leukoma staminea, Saxidomus gigantea, Psammobiidae, Leukoma, Gari |
Wendy simms citizen science project monitoring the introduced varnish clam nuttallia obscurata
Nuttallia obscurata, common name the "purple mahogany clam", "dark mahogany clam", "varnish clam", or "savory clam", is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Psammobiidae. This clam is native to Japan. It has been introduced in the North American coasts of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, where it is considered to be an invasive species; it is often harvested for food there.
A 2006 study of reproductive ecology and dispersal potential suggested that a "lengthy planktonic phase, combined with favourable oceanographic circulation patterns, has contributed to the rapid dispersal and geographic range expansion of the varnish clam in the Northeast Pacific."
References
Nuttallia obscurata Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA