Mercenaria campechiensis   (Dall, 1902)

Southern hardshell clam

Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Mercenaria campechiensis  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Mercenaria campechiensis (Southern hardshell clam)
Mercenaria campechiensis

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Bivalvia | Venerida | Veneridae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Benthic; depth range 0 - 20 m.  Tropical; 40°N - 15°N, 99°W - 65°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Western Central Atlantic.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cmCommon length : 15.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 344)

Short description Morphology

Shell thick, more inflated than in Mercenaria mercenaria, ovate-trigonal. Sculpture of irregular lines, more separated than in M. mercenaria. Lines never absent in middle of valve. Lunule as long as wide. Colour: dull white to grey, internally sometimes stained with purple.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

One of the most commercially exploited species in the area. Species is harvested by digging in shallow water. Also collected by recreational fishermen by "treading" (probing with bare feet), and in deeper water by bull rakes and clam tongs. Mechanical harvesting not permitted in Florida. Species is high in protein and virtually fat-free. This species may form hybrids with individuals of M. mercenaria in the southeastern USA (Ref. 344). Combination depth range: min from literature, max from estimate. Lives from the intertidal to the shallow subtidal, in moderately hard sandy bottoms or in sandy mud. Sometimes in close associations with seagrass beds and algae. Rarely found in the surf zone (Ref. 344).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Members of the class Bivalvia are mostly gonochoric, some are protandric hermaphrodites. Life cycle: Embryos develop into free-swimming trocophore larvae, succeeded by the bivalve veliger, resembling a miniature clam.

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Leal, J.H. 2003. (Ref. 344)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial
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Tools

E-book | Field guide

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Common names
Synonyms
Predators
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance
References
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures

Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 23.5 - 28.1, mean 27.2 (based on 655 cells).
Resilience (Ref. 69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.64).
Vulnerability (Ref. 71543): Low vulnerability (23 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.