Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Mollusca > Class Bivalvia > Subclass Autobranchia > Infraclass Heteroconchia > Subterclass Euheterodonta > Superorder Imparidentia > Order Myida > Superfamily Myoidea > Family Myidae > Subfamily Myinae > Genus Mya

Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Mya*	Linnaeus, 1758	accepted genus name

Species group names

*Mya arenaria var. ovata*	A. S. Jensen, 1900	synonym
*Mya declivis*	Pennant, 1777	synonym
*Mya elongata*	Locard, 1886	synonym

Vernaculars (+) (-)

Chinese: 砂海螂

Danish: almindelig sandmusling sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Dutch: grote strandgaper; strandgaper sources: VLIZ. (2016). Wetenschappelijke en handelsbenamingen voor visserij- en aquacultuurproducten op de Belgische markt. VLIZ Beleidsinformerende Nota's, BIN 2016_001. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. 28 + Annex. pp.;Hayward, P.; Nelson-Smith, A.; Shields, C. (1999). Gids van kust en strand: flora en fauna [Coast and beach guide: flora and fauna]. Tirion: Baarn, Netherlands. ISBN 90-5210-327-5. 352, ill. pp.

English: large-neck clam; long necked clam; Manila clam; sand gaper; Smooth butter clam; softshell; softshell clam; soft-shelled clam; steamer; steamer clam sources: Cole, T. C. H. (2017). Wörterbuch der Wirbellosen / Dictionary of Invertebrates. Latein-Deutsch-English. 2017. Springer Spektrum: Berlin. ISBN 978-3-662-52869-3. XII, 574 pp.;Dewarumez, J.-M.; Gévaert, F.; Massé, C.; Foveau, A.; Desroy, N.; Grulois, D. (2011). Les espèces marines animales et végétales introduites dans le bassin Artois-Picardie . UMR CNRS 8187 LOG/Agence de l'Eau Artois-Picardie: Douai. 138 pp.;Volvenko, I. V.; Orlov, A. M.; Gebruk, A. V.; Katugin, O. N.; Ogorodnikova, A. A.; Vinogradov, G. M.; Maznikova, O. A. (2019). Checklist of the trawl macrofauna from the North Pacific and adjacent seas with information about fishery importance, potential product yield, and price range, supplement to: Volvenko, Igor V; Orlov, Alexei M; Gebruk, Andrey V; Katugin, Oleg N; Ogorodnikova, Alla A; Vinogradov, Georgy M; Maznikova, Olga A (in prep.): Trawl macrofauna of the Far-Eastern Seas and North Pacific: proportion of commercial species, potential product yield, and price rang. Earth System Science Data. PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science.;VLIZ. (2016). Wetenschappelijke en handelsbenamingen voor visserij- en aquacultuurproducten op de Belgische markt. VLIZ Beleidsinformerende Nota's, BIN 2016_001. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. 28 + Annex. pp.;North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS)

French: bec de jar; clauque; mye; mye des sables sources: Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.;VLIZ. (2016). Wetenschappelijke en handelsbenamingen voor visserij- en aquacultuurproducten op de Belgische markt. VLIZ Beleidsinformerende Nota's, BIN 2016_001. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. 28 + Annex. pp.

German: Große Sandklaffmuschel; Klaffmuschel; Sandklaffmuschel; Sandmuschel; Strandauster sources: Cole, T. C. H. (2017). Wörterbuch der Wirbellosen / Dictionary of Invertebrates. Latein-Deutsch-English. 2017. Springer Spektrum: Berlin. ISBN 978-3-662-52869-3. XII, 574 pp.;Lindner, G. (1999). Schelpengids: schelpen uit de wereldzeeën, vorm, voorkomen, systematiek [The shell guide: shells from the world oceans, shape, distribution and systematics]. Tirion: Baarn, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5210-409-3. 320 pp.;Unterwasser-Welt Ostsee

Greek: Σκαφτιάς sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Polish: małgiew piaskołaz sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Russian: Песчаная мия

Literature

original description	Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. 1(10) [iii], 824 p.
basis of record	Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213.
additional source	Zhang J.L., Xu F.S. & Liu J.Y. (2012) The Myidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from Chinese waters with description of a new species. Zootaxa 3383: 39–60. [Published 10 July 2012]
additional source	Appeldoorn, R. S. (1984). Sex ratio in the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria. The Nautilus. 98(2): 61-63.
additional source	Abbott, R. T. (1974). American seashells. The marine Mollusca of the Atlantic and Pacific coast of North America. ed. 2. Van Nostrand, New York. 663 pp., 24 pls. [October 1974].
additional source	Clench, W. J. (1961). A record size for Mya arenaria. The Nautilus. 74(3): 122.
additional source	Vles, F. (1909). Monographie sommaire de la Mye (Mya arenaria Linné,1767). Memoires de la Societe Zoologique de France. 22: 90-142.
additional source	Blake, J. H. (1925). An abnormal clam. The Nautilus. 38(3): 89-90, 2 text-figures.
additional source	Morse, E. S. (1922). An abnormal shell of Mya arenaria. The Nautilus. 36(1): 28-30.
additional source	Keep, J. (1891). Mollusks of the San Francisco markets. The Nautilus. 4(9): 97-100.
additional source	Tubiash, H. S., Shuster, C. N., Jr. & Couch, J. A. (1968). Anomalous siphons in two species of bivalve mollusks. The Nautilus. 81(4): 123-125, figs. 1-3.
additional source	Russell, H. D. (1952). The Duxbury Bay 1950 set of Mya arenaria L. The Nautilus. 66(1): 7-10, fig. 1.
additional source	Ropes, J. W. (1982). Hermaphroditism, sexuality and sex ratio in the surf clam, Spisula solidissima, and the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria. The Nautilus. 96(1): 141-146, fig. 1.
additional source	Huber, M. (2010). Compendium of bivalves. A full-color guide to 3,300 of the world's marine bivalves. A status on Bivalvia after 250 years of research. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. 901 pp., 1 CD-ROM.
additional source	Zenetos, A., M.E. Cinar, M.A. Pancucci-Papadopoulou, J.G. Harmelin, G. Furnari, F. Andaloro, N. Bellou, N. Streftaris & H. Zibrowius. (2005). Annotated list of marine alien species in the Mediterranean with records of the worst invasive species. Mediterranean Marine Science. 6 (2): 63-118.

Genbank

External Links

Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758. Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:140430