Geoduck

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pronounced "GOO-wee-duck", the geoduck (Panopea abrupta or Panope generosa) is not a duck at all, but a species of large saltwater clam, also known as the king clam or elephant trunk clam. The name is derived from a Nisqualli Indian word meaning "dig deep", and its phonetically counterintuitive spelling is likely the result of poor transcription (alternate spellings include gweduck and goiduck). Native to the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada, it is the largest burrowing clam in the world, weighing in at an average of one to three pounds (1.4 kg) at maturity, but specimens weighing over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) and as much as a meter in length are not unheard of.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It has a life expectancy of up to 100 years or more, with the oldest recorded at over 160 years. Scientists speculate that the geoduck's longevity is the result of low wear and tear. A geoduck sucks in plankton, spits out the refuse and, periodically, ejects sperm or eggs. That's about it, unless it happens to fall victim to one of its few predators. In Alaska, sea otters and dogfish have proved able to dislodge an adult geoduck, and starfish can grab an unwary siphon and slowly nibble away at it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Geoducks are broadcast spawners. A female geoduck produces about 5 billion eggs in her century-long lifespan—in comparison, a human female produces about 500 viable ova during the course of her life. It is possible that this fact, in conjunction with the phallic shape of the siphon, has led to the belief that the shellfish has aphrodisiac properties.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The geoduck is the official mascot of the Evergreen State College, located at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington. The school's Latin motto, Omnia Extares (or, "let it all hang out") is probably intended as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the creature's appearance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Duck: Dendrocygninae...

Saltwater: redirect Salt water...

Clam: Clams are shelled marine or freshwater molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. The term "clam" has no taxonomic significance in biology, but is often used to refer to any bivalve (a mollusc whose body is protected by two symmetrical shells) that is not an oyster, mussel, or a scallop, and that has...