Pacific geoducks are known as a gourmet culinary staple and can weigh up to 9 pounds. (Photo by Natalie Fobes via Getty Images)
Name: Pacific Geoduck (Panopea generosa)
Habitat: In the Pacific Ocean, along the west coast of North America (from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico).
What it eats: phytoplankton, pelagic crustaceans and fish larvae.
Why it's awesome: Pacific geoducks are large marine mollusks that can live to be over 165 years old. These phallic-shaped sea creatures have very long necks called siphons and are considered a culinary delicacy.
The word “geeduck” (pronounced “gooey-duck”) is thought to come from the Native American word “gweduc,” meaning “to dig deep.” They are the largest burrowing clams in the world, living on the ocean floor at depths of up to 3 feet (1 meter).
Geoducks are bivalves, meaning their bodies are sandwiched between shells made up of two movable parts. They have a foot that helps them burrow into the sediment and anchor themselves to the bottom. To feed, the mollusk sucks in seawater, filters it to extract plankton and nutrients, and expels the excess through a siphon. This appendage has two openings at the end, one for oxygen and phytoplankton to enter, and one for excess water to escape.
Although the geoduck shell typically reaches a length of 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters), the siphon can grow to over 3 feet. In the first three to five years, geoducks can reach a weight of 1.5 pounds (0.7 kilograms). On average, geoducks weigh about 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms), but can reach 9 pounds (4 kilograms).
Adult geoducks are dioecious and reach sexual maturity at about 3 years of age. Male geoducks can reproduce for over 100 years. Females have very large ovaries containing millions of eggs, and produce 1 to 2 million eggs per spawn.
While other shellfish move to avoid predators, geoducks respond by retracting their siphons. They are preyed upon by crabs, sharks, sea otters, and starfish. Geoducks are eaten around the world, served both cooked and raw in sushi or sashimi. They are collected from the wild and also farmed, especially in Washington state. They are sometimes claimed to have aphrodisiac properties, likely due to their shape—though there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
Lydia SmithSocial Link NavigationScience Writer
Lydia Smith is a health and science journalist working for publications in the UK and US. She is studying for an MA in Psychology at the University of Glasgow and has an MA in English Literature from King's College London.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
