Evergreen Natural History Database

Common name(s): Butter clam

Size:
Up to 130mm

Range:
Bering Sea to Central California

Habitat:
Intertidal to 40 m, buried to 30 cm. Prefers quiet bays and estuaries with muddy sand or muddy/sandy gravel.

Misidentification:
Tresus capax

Life History:
Spawns in the Fall when water temperatures reach 11.5 to 18^oC. This species can live up to 20 years.

Predators:
Polinices lewisii, Nucella emarginata

*"Size" refers to shell length only and only gives the largest average size for the given species.

Last updated Tuesday, August 29, 2006, by Lisa Ferrier