Clam

One indicates under the name of clams various marine bivalvular molluscs among which Tapes decussatus and Tapes philippinarum . The name of the clam in Provence is the Clovisse.

The indigenous clam in France is the species Tapes decussatus , but one finds more and more on the French littoral (mainly Atlantic) the clam Tapes philippinarum (originating in the Pacific and called commonly Japanese clam) introduced in France into the years 1970 with an aim of breeding (the vénériculture) because its growth is faster.

These introduced animals reproduced naturally and the planktonique larvae were disseminated with the surroundings. From now on acclimatized to the Atlantic ecosystem, the Japanese clams train today important wild populations in roads of Brest, in the Gulf of Morbihan, Traict of Croisic, around Noirmoutier and in the basin of Arcachon. It can be regarded as a invasive Espèce insofar as it supplanted the indigenous species locally Tapes decussatus . She however knew important mortalities related to a epizooty of bacterial origin, the disease known as of the brown ring . There exists also an important population of this species in the lagoons of Venice (Adriatic Sea). This species is the subject of a commercial fishing.

The clams prefer the funds Vase ux and Sable ux, especially with much of stones; they are sedentary (maxima displacements of six meters per month approximately). The clams nourish themselves by filtration of the Plancton in suspension and the deposits on the medium. The siphons are extensions which are used for aspiring and driving back water, the gills intervene then in breathing, the filtration of water and the nutrition (routing of the food particles towards the mouth).

Their circulatory system is of half-open type, it includes/understands a Cœur, Branchie S, Sinus… and vessels where the Hémolymphe circulates (equivalent of the Sang at the Vertébré S).

Fish

The clams are fished with low Marée, when the funds where they live discover. One locates them thanks to the two holes which they leave on the surface, and one often digs by using a " fourchette". In Morbihan a fishing in diving developed, the professional fishermen are equipped with a combination neoprene and of a tuba, they are let float horizontally on the surface and capture the clams with the hand.

In Italy, the tide is absent and the Japanese clams are fished with the dredger. In France still, in the Mediterranean basin and more particularly in the coastal lagoons (the basin of Thau being the largest natural layer), the commercial fishing developed around this very required shell of the gourmets. Fishing is carried out in apnea (the bottles are prohibited!) with a depth being able to go up to 7 meters. It is besides to announce that on the basin of Thau, this fishing is reserved to the only professionals who live of this fishing (the coastguard and the maritime businesses supervise this zone besides in order to limit the impact of the indelicate fishermen!) In France, the authorized minimal size is of 4 cm (measure to the biggest length).

The vénériculture is the culture of the clam.

Use for the food

The clams can eat themselves raw, and are particularly appreciated thus.

Some traditional receipts:

  • (French receipt ) stuffed clams (i.e. supplemented with Garlic and parsley butter and cooked with the furnace)
  • (Italian receipt ) spaghettis or liguines with the clams ( spaghetti ale vongole ), the purists will prefer the larger clams, as in Naples.
  • (Spanish receipt ) cassoulet of clams ( Fabada of almejas ), receipt asturienne.

See too

Random links:Undergrowth | Am | Tomcat de Apache | The Community of communes of the Canton of Brouvelieures | Dorothy Jordan | Rachid El Ouali | Renfort_communal