Everything You Need to Know About Geoducks
What is a geoduck?
First off, it's pronounced "gooey duck." Contrary to what one might
think, it's not related to a duck at all. The Nisqually — a Native
American tribe located in western Washington — coined the term
gweduc,
meaning "dig deep" and referring to the way this bivalve burrows far
below the seafloor. Europeans later reinterpreted the native spelling
and pronunciation.
Geoduck is a large clam with simple anatomy. There are two
major parts to remember: the siphon or neck, which hangs out of the
shell, and the mantle (also called breast), the meaty part that sits
inside the shell. Native to the Pacific Northwest and Western Canadian
coast, geoducks anchor themselves into the ground with a small "foot," and remain in one spot for their entire lives. Several
feet below ground, the massive saltwater clam sucks in seawater,
filtering for plankton and precious vitamins, and squirts out the excess
through its impressive siphon. Their necks easily stretch from banana
to baseball lengths, depending on how comfortably situated they are
(they're happiest and longest when they're underground).
(Eater.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment