NOTATA CLAMS.

Look at that beauty! This is known as a notata clam.

The striping is a genetic trait that is naturally occurring in just 1-2% of clams in the wild. This clam was harvested in Southold, so most likely it is an example of a successful clam enhancement project with Cornell Cooperative Marine Extension who bred this variance to help with tracking the success of the program. Most likely this clam began as spat that was released in the millions in the waterways, and matured over several years. The distinctive stripes make it a likely graduate of this program. According to the experts, the clam pictured is specifically a heterozygous notata, meaning both recessive and dominant genes are being expressed in the striping and coloration.

The coloration of this clam is particularly beautiful and unusual. Most common are clams with even coloration, though it ranges from tan to grey to a blue… clams are products of their environment, taking on the color of their setting to avoid predation.