Mercenaria campechiensis

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Mercenaria campechiensis
Mercenaria campechiensis valve view.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Venerida
Family: Veneridae
Genus: Mercenaria
Species:
M. campechiensis
Binomial name
Mercenaria campechiensis
(Gmelin, 1791)
Synonyms

Venus campechiensisGmelin, 1791

Mercenaria campechiensis, also known as the southern hardshell clam, [1] southern hard clam, [2] and southern quahog, [3] [4] is a species of bivalve belonging to the family Veneridae. [1] [5] [6] The species is found in western North Atlantic north to New Jersey (USA), including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico [5] [6] in waters shallower than 20 meters. [1]

Mercenaria campechiensis is harvested commercially for human consumption. [1] [4] It can hybridize with Mercenaria mercenaria where their local distributions overlap. However, it typically occurs in nearshore open-ocean waters, whereas Mercenaria mercenaria is found in embayments and estuaries. [2] [4]

Description

Mercenaria campechiensis can grow to a total length of 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in). [1] [3] It can reach at least 28 years in age. [3] The shell is roundish. The presence of anterior concentric ridges can be used to differentiate Mercenaria campechiensis from Mercenaria mercenaria (ridges absent). [4]

Right and left valve of the same specimen:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2024). "Mercenaria campechiensis" in SeaLifeBase. August 2024 version.
  2. 1 2 Arnold, W. S.; Bert, T.M.; Quitmyer, I. R.; Jones, D. S. (1998). "Contemporaneous deposition of annual growth bands in Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus), Mercenaria campechiensis (Gmelin), and their natural hybrid forms". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 223 (1): 93–109. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(97)00152-4.
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, D. S.; Quitmyer, I. R.; Arnold, W. S.; Marelli, D. C. (1990). "Annual shell banding, age, and growth rate of hard clams (Mercenaria spp.) from Florida" (PDF). Journal of Shellfish Reaseaech. 9: 215–225.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Heekenda, Erangi J.; Austin, James D.; Zhang, Zhe; Yang, Huiping (2020). "Phenotypic and genetic identification of Mercenaria mercenaria, Mercenaria campechiensis, and their hybrids". Journal of Shellfish Research. 39 (3): 535–546. doi:10.2983/035.039.0304.
  5. 1 2 Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O, eds. (2024). "Mercenaria campechiensis (Gmelin, 1791)". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Mercenaria campechiensis (Gmelin, 1791)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 17 October 2024.


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