Usually it means a "surf clam" versus a "bay clam" (venus mercenaria) the
bay clams come in different sizes and are harvested with a long handled
"clam rake" on a "garvey" boat, a small shallow boat with a small cabin in
the middle the rest of the deck one stands on and lowering the rake dig
through the bottom sediments in a bay, i.e., on Long Island usually the
Great South Bay, though available elsewhere. I have seen them thin-sectioned
and the diurnal tides result in laminar deposits as they grow allowing, in a
10 foot long or so cross-section, to be relatively dated to season, as the
colder tides slow down the metabolism of the mollusk and the laminas are
thinner. The age of the clam can be determined, like counting tree-rings. I
am not sure about the "surf clam" as it's environment may be different. I
think "surf clams" are dragged for out of the sands, for example in the
Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island, the barrier beach that separates the Great
South Bay from the ocean. The growing of "seed clams" is very difficult as
they start out microscopic and take 5 or so years in a recirculation tide
mechanism before they are large enough to be placed in the bays without
predations.

George Myers




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