Marine Invertebrates

Butter clams	Found from Alaska to California, can grow to lengths of 12-13 cm and live for more than 20 years. Many consider the butter clam as the best clam for chowder.
Pacific littleneck clams	Are an important traditional food of many First Nations coastal communities. Crabs, snails and diving ducks are their common predators.
Basket cockles	A traditional First Nations food found low in the inter-tidal zone. It is also popular in Spain and China.
Manila clams	Is the species that dominates clam farming in BC. Manila clams are popular with chefs because of their sweetness and their colorful shell patterns.
Varnish clams	In the BC marketplace, these attractive looking varnish calms are sold under the name “Savoury Clam.”
Oysters and clams	Are two of the types of shellfish commercially harvested in local waters.
Pacific oysters	Originally from Japan, the pacific oyster is the most widely cultured oyster in the world. It is hardy, simple to grow and has a delicious mild flavor.
Scallops	They have the ability to "swim" short distances by rapidly snapping their shells. This ability develops an oversized muscle referred to as the adductor, the edible portion of the scallop.
Mussels	For centuries, mussels have been cultured on the coasts of the Netherlands, France and Spain. Mussel farming is a relatively new but growing industry in BC.
Red sea urchins	The Japanese consider red sea urchin to be a delicacy and usually eat it raw. Red sea urchins can live for 30 years.
Green sea urchins	Primarily grazes on seaweeds, but will also consume mussels, sand dollars, barnacles and whelks. Japan imports sea urchins for use primarily in sushi.
Geoducks	Are the world's largest burrowing clam (up to 14 pounds) and are found on the West Coast of North America from California to Alaska.
Sea cucumbers	An Asian delicacy with reported aphrodisiac qualities. They have five double rows of tiny suction cups that run along their body that are used for crawling along the seabed or anchoring to a rock.
Whelks	Are scavengers and carnivores. They feed on living and dead mollusks by boring holes in the shells of its prey using their “toothed tongue.”