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Geoduck

Geoduck, pronounced “gooey-duck”, translates in Salish to “dig deep”, but the geoduck spends most of its life below the sediment.

 

Geoducks are burrowing clams that can be found along the West Coast of the United States from Alaska to Baja California. They primarily are found buried below sand, mud, or gravel. They have an incredibly unique appearance compared to other clams, set apart by their distinctive siphon or “neck”. Their siphon grows up to 1 meter (3 feet) in length. At the end of the long neck, there are two openings — one for eating and breathing, the other for releasing excess water. Geoducks are some of the largest clams in the world, with their light brown, square-shaped shells growing up to 200 mm (8 inches) in length.  

Geoducks have extremely long lifespans — with the oldest recorded wild geoduck reaching 168 years of age. They have very sedentary lifestyles, and once they reach adulthood they rarely move, if at all. This is due to the fact that adults have a proportionately small foot, making it so they cannot dig or move with ease. Geoducks reproduce through broadcast spawning, a process in which males and females release their gametes into the water column in the same time frame so that the eggs become fertilized. These large clams are filter feeders, so their diets consist primarily of phytoplankton.   

 

 

Geoducks do not have a status on the IUCN Red List. However, there is a high demand for geoducks in Asian markets that puts pressure on the harvest, and there are no current conservation measures in place.  

 

 

Marine life, like geoduck, needs healthy oceans to thrive. Oceana campaigns to protect these precious ecosystems by promoting responsible fishing practices and stopping overfishing.  

 

 

 

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