1. The Quahog

2. Chemistry Quahog

3. ●the southern quahog seems to prefer the oceanic water. ●they like to gather near inlets and in offshore habitats ●grows rapidly under highly saline conditions Under what range of salinities do Quahogs thrive?

4. ●They secrete a calcium-based shell material from an inner structure called the mantle ●Create shell around themselves for protection ●Shell grows as they mature ●Thier shell can reveal many clues about thier age, diet, or the composition of the water they live in What is their shell made of and how do they produce it?

5. What effect does carbon in the atmosphere have on shell formation?

6. anterior side umbo dorsal side hinge posterior side clam is laying on its right valve left valve Exterior of Clam Danielle Donadio Lab Bench #4 ventral side

7. mantle gills adductor muscles foot Danielle Donadio excurrent siphon incurrent siphon Interior of Clam Lab Bench #4

8. Deep Interior of Clam intestine mouth/ digestive gland anus Danielle Donadio Lab Bench #4

9. Ecology: What do quahogs eat and what eats them? ●Filter feeders who eat through siphons that they dig into the mud ●Pick up tiny particles of plankton ●Predators include humans and a variety of crustaceans and fish, including starfish, blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, aquatic snails, skates, and rays Lab Bench #4

10. Ecology: Population Density ●lower water quality and higher population density in areas closed to fishing in Narragansett Bay ●causes lower reproduction capability and gonadal cycle as compared to conditional fishing areas Lab Bench #4

11. External hinge umbo ventral dorsal anterior posterior left valve (top) right valve (bottom)

12. Internal mantle foot gills adductor muscle anus mouth incurrent siphon excurrent siphon intestine

13. Deep Internal gills anus adductor muscle incurrent siphon excurrent siphon mantle

14. Geology At what range of depths do quahogs thrive? The Mercenaria Mercenaria (a local hard shell clam common called quahogs) can be usually found at a depth of 10 meters. They use their muscular foot to burrow deep into the sediment. Virginia Pellerey Elizabeth Blanchette Katie Goglia

15. Geology In what type of substrate (bottom material) are you likely to find quahogs? You are likely to find this kind of shell on mud/sand flats, typically near inlets and in offshore habitats. Virginia Pellerey Elizabeth Blanchette Katie Goglia

16. Lab Bench 1: External Hinge Anterior Dorsal Right Valve (bottom side: not shown) Posterior Left Valve (upper side) Ventral Umbo Julianna Risica Ally Bush Lauren Ranney Finnian Duncan

17. Lab Bench 1: Internal Foot Mantle Gills Adductor Muscles Julianna Risica Ally Bush Lauren Ranney Finnian Duncan

18. Lab Bench 1: Internal Continued Digestive Gland Intestine Incurrent Siphon Julianna Risica Ally Bush Lauren Ranney Finnian Duncan

19. Lab Bench 1: Research Reproduction of Quahogs ●Spawning Process ●Males release sperm through siphons ●Females release eggs through siphons ●Sperm and Eggs unite and Develop Diet ●filter feeders ●suck up water through incurrent siphon and absorb plankton, bacteria, oxygen ●filter water and waste products out of excurrent siphon Julianna Risica Ally Bush Lauren Ranney Finnian Duncan

20. Lab Bench 1: Research Cont. Anatomy and Physiology ● Two shells made of calcium carbonate that the clam secretes ● Joint of the shells formed by hinge made up of intermeshing teeth ● The overall purpose of the shell: protect the interior of the clam ● Adductor muscles to close the shell to avoid predators or if water conditions are bad ● Muscular foot (contains intestines, digestive glands, and gonads) can reach outside the shell so that the clam can burrow ● Incurrent siphon brings water (oxygen and plankton) into the quahog ● Excurrent siphon: where the water (animal’s waste) exits ● Mantle: part of animal that forms shell (secretes calcium carbonate) ● Gills: obtain oxygen and food (cilia- tiny hair-like structures that creates a current that moves water through the body) Julianna Risica Ally Bush Lauren Ranney Finnian Duncan

21. Lab Bench 5: External Jessica Marabian Deirdre Mcdonald Hayley Page Umbo Hinge Dorsal Ventral Anterior Posterior right valve (on top shell) left valve (on bottom shell)

22. Lab Bench 5: Internal Hayley Page Jessica Marabian Deirdre McDonald Anterior Adductor Muscle Posterior adductor muscle Excurrent siphon Incurrent siphon mantle foot Digestive gland intestine mouth anus gills (under the foot)

23. Lab Bench 5: Harvesting Methods Commercial quahoggers are not allowed to use mechanical methods (dredge or compressor) in the bay. What methods can they use? - Some use considerably large rakes called bullrakes - Commercial businesses go out to the shoreline on single-handed boats - Many work full time on small-skiffs Are there size limits or seasonal limits? If so what are they? - Yes there are size limits -minimum size: 1 inch hinge width What are conditional areas? - The restrictions depend on what state one were to quahog - One can only quahog from sunrises to sunset - A licence is required -In Rhode Island the management areas include: Potter, Point Judith, Ningret, Quonochontaug, Winnipuag, Ponds, Greenwich Bay, Bristol Translplant, etc. Bullrake

24. Lab Bench 6: Economics Four Different Types of Quahogs: Kieran Maynard ●Little Neck- Smallest ●Cherry Stone- Little Larger ●Top Neck- Bigger than the Cherry Stone, also labeled count neck clams ●Quahog- Biggest, also called chowder clams Landing Numbers: ●Quahogs still in abundance ●Reduced fishing permits in areas

25. Economics: Zach and Kieran Prices of Quahogs: ● Quahogs cost $2.00 per pound with 2-3 quahogs making a pound ● Quahogs bought in restaurants can be $6-25

26. External View: Joe Abilheira

27. Internal View: Joe Abilheira

28. Deep Internal View: Joe Abilheira