Kingdom Animalia Class Bivalvia Family Hiatellidae Scientific name Panopea zelandica | Phylum Mollusca Order Myoida Genus Panopea Rank Species | |
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Similar Panopea, Paphies australis, Myoida, Panopea glycimeris, Ruditapes largillierti | ||
Panopea zelandica, commonly known as the Deepwater Clam or New Zealand geoduck (geoduck), is a large species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Hiatellidae. Panopea zelandica is also sometimes called a King Clam or a Gaper in reference to the shell not being closed at either end.
It can be found around the North, South and Stewart islands and occurs mainly in shallow waters (5–25 metres) in sand and mud off sandy ocean beaches. Another geoduck species (Panopea smithae) is found in deeper New Zealand waters.
Like other geoducks P. zelandica burrows downwards in the mud and extends a siphon 30-45 centimetres up to the surface of the substrate. The siphon contains two tubes. Water is sucked down one tube, filtered for food and then expelled through the other.