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Littleneck Clam (Leukoma staminea)

Littleneck Clam (Leukoma staminea). Photo credit: DFO.

Littleneck Clam (Leukoma staminea). Photo credit: DFO.

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Species overview

Physical description

Littleneck Clam is a medium-sized intertidal clam. It has two hard shells that are round in shape. The outside of Littleneck Clam shells has rings that run both parallel and perpendicular to the edge. These rings can be used to determine a clam’s age. The outside edge of Littleneck Clam shells is rough with small teeth. The lunule is present with a raised ridge. Its siphon tip is fused.

The inside of Littleneck Clam shells is white and glossy. The outside of shells can be:

Littleneck Clam can grow up to 75 millimeters (mm) long. It can live to 14 years old.

Distribution

Littleneck Clam is found from Alaska to California. It is most abundant north of Oregon.

Littleneck Clam lives in shallow burrows 15 to 20 centimeters (cm) deep. It stays shallow because its siphon is short. It prefers to live in:

Littleneck Clam lives in the mid-intertidal zone to depths of 10 meters (m). There are no significant subtidal populations of Littleneck Clam in British Columbia (BC).

Life cycle

Littleneck Clam maturity depends on its size, not its age. Littleneck Clam matures between 22 to 35 mm long. It reaches this length when it is between 1.5 and 2.5 years old. Environmental conditions affect Littleneck Clam growth rates. Littleneck Clam grows quickly for the first few years of its life, and then growth slows.

Littleneck Clam spawns from April to October in BC. Littleneck Clam is a broadcast spawner, meaning males and females release eggs and sperm into the water column for fertilization.

After eggs hatch, larvae are pelagic for 3 to 4 weeks. Larvae are carried to new beaches by ocean currents. Once they settle on the ocean floor, adults cannot move to another beach.

Recruitment of Littleneck Clam in BC depends on environmental conditions and is irregular. This causes variation in adult populations over time.

Fishery history

The intertidal clam fishery plays an important role in coastal communities in BC:

Commercial clam fisheries have been carried out for over 100 years. Butter Clam was the target species of the commercial fishery in BC until a market shift to Littleneck and Manila clams in the 1980s. While Manila and Littleneck clams have been reported in commercial landings since 1951, the directed fishery did not develop until the late 1970s. Individual commercial licenses and area licensing restrictions were introduced in 1989 due to concerns of overharvesting.

Clam harvesters fish during low tides. They use rakes or scrapers to dig Littleneck Clams out and collect them by hand. Littleneck Clam is not always targeted by commercial diggers because its market price is lower than Manila Clam. However, a few specialty markets exist for Littleneck Clam in the U.S.

Ecosystem context

Littleneck Clam overlaps with Butter Clam and non-native Manila Clam in the intertidal zone.

Littleneck Clam are prey for:

Littleneck Clam is a filter feeder. It uses its siphon to remove food particles from the water column. Feeding only happens when Littleneck Clam is underwater. When the tide is low, Littleneck Clam closes its shells tightly and waits to feed until the tide covers it again.

Bivalve shellfish are very sensitive to water quality because they feed by filtering microscopic organisms from the water. While feeding, harmful bacteria, viruses, and marine biotoxins can build up in their tissues. If eaten, this can make humans sick.

Be careful when harvesting shellfish. Check for contamination in the subarea where you plan to harvest. Check our real-time bivalve shellfish safety harvesting map. If there are no contamination closures, check species regulations and additional harvest restrictions.

Science advice and research

Science advice and research for Littleneck Clams

Integrated Fisheries Management Plan

Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Intertidal Clams

Sources

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