Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Mollusca > Class Bivalvia > Subclass Autobranchia > Infraclass Heteroconchia > Subterclass Euheterodonta > Superorder Imparidentia > Order Venerida > Superfamily Veneroidea > Family Veneridae > Subfamily Venerinae > Genus Mercenaria

Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Original genus

Venus Linnaeus, 1758

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

MercenariaSchumacher, 1817accepted genus name

Species group names

Mercenaria cancellata Gabb, 1860 synonym
Mercenaria kennicotti Dall, 1872 synonym
Mercenaria violacea Schumacher, 1817 synonym
Venus cyprinoides Anton, 1838 synonym
Venus mercenaria var. alba Dall, 1902 synonym
Venus mercenaria var. antiqua A. E. Verrill, 1875 synonym
Venus mercenaria var. radiata Dall, 1902 synonym
Venus notata Say, 1822 synonym
Venus submercenaria K. van W. Palmer, 1927 synonym
Venus ziczac Linnaeus, 1758, sensu Pearse, 1936 misapplied name

Vernaculars (+) (-)

 Dutch: Amerikaanse venusschelp sources: 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: cherry stones; hard clam; hard shell; little necks; Northern quahog; quahog sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 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.;North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS);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.
 French: clam; palourde américaine; praire; quahog 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.;Chabot, R. & Rossignol, A. 2003. Algues et faune du littoral du Saint-Laurent maritime: Guide d'identification. Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Rimouski; Pêches et Océans Canada (Institut Maurice-Lamontagne), Mont-Joli. 113 pages.;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: Nördliche Quahog-Muschel; nördliche Venusmuschel 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.;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.
 Italian: quahog
 Japanese: ホンビノスガイ sources: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. (2009 onwards). Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL). Accessed on 2018-11-21.
 Portuguese: amêijoa-mercenária; clame-redonda

Literature

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

Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A., A. Marchini, G. Cantone, A. Castelli, C. Chimenz, M. Cormaci, C. Froglia, G. Furnari, M.C. Gambi, G. Giaccone, A. Giangrande, C. Gravil, F. Mastrototaro, C. Mazziotti, L. Orsi-Relini & S. Piraino. (2010). Alien species along the Italian coasts: an overview. Biological Invasions. 13(1): 215-237.

additional source

Lutaenko, K.A.; Furota, T.; Nakayama; S.; Shin, K.; Xu, J. (2013). Atlas of Marine Invasive Species in the NOWPAP Region. Beijing: NOWPAP DINRAC (Northwest Pacific Action Plan, Data and Information Network Regional Center). 189 pp.

additional source

Davis, J. D. (1969). Polydora infestation of Mercenaria mercenaria. The Nautilus. 83(2): 74.

additional source

Zenetos, A., S. Gofas, M. Verlaque, M. Cinar, J. Garcia Raso, C. Bianchi, C. Morri, E. Azzurro, M. Bilecenoglu, C. Froglia, I. Siokou, D. Violanti, A. Sfriso, G. San Martin, A. Giangrande, T. Katagan, E. Ballesteros, A. Ramos-Espla, F. Mastrototaro, O. Ocana, A. Zingone, M,. Gambi & N. Streftaris. (2010). Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2010. A contribution to the application of European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part I. Spatial distribution. Mediterranean Marine Science. 11(2): 381-493.

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

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

Walker, R. L. (1985). Growth and optimum seeding time for the hard clam. Mercenaria mercenaria (L.), in coastal Georgia. The Nautilus. 99(4): 127-133.

additional source

Walker, R. L. (1984). Effects of density and sampling time on the growth of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, planted in predator-free cages in coastal Georgia. The Nautilus. 98(3): 114-119.

Genbank

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External Links

Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Mercenaria mercenaria (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:141919

Image

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Occurrence

 Present  Absent  Doubtful  Native  Introduced  Naturalised  Invasive  Managed  No data

Environment


marine

Importance

EU Habitat Directive:
annex II EU Habitat Directive Annex II: Species of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation.
annex IV EU Habitat Directive Annex IV: Species of community interest in need of strict protection.

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Last modified

2004-12-21 by Serge Gofas

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