Tresus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tresus |
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| Siphons of Tresus capax (Gould, 1850) | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Subclass: | Heterodonta |
| Order: | Venerida |
| Superfamily: | Mactroidea |
| Family: | Mactridae |
| Genus: | Tresus Gray, 1853 |
| Species | |
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See text. |
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Tresus is a group of cool ocean animals. They are often called horse clams or gaper clams. These creatures live in saltwater. They are a type of bivalve, which means they have two shells. They are also mollusks, like snails and octopuses. Horse clams are quite similar to geoducks, another type of large clam.
Contents
Types of Horse Clams
There are several different kinds of Tresus clams. Each one has its own scientific name. Here are some of the species found in this group:
- Tresus allomyax (Coan & Scott, 2000) – This one is known as the strange gaper.
- Tresus capax (Gould, 1850) – People call this the fat gaper.
- Tresus keenae (Kuroda & Habe, 1950) – This is also known as the mirugai clam.
- Tresus nuttallii (Conrad, 1837) – This is the Pacific gaper.
- Tresus pajaroanus (Conrad, 1857) – This one is sometimes called the lost gaper.
Where Horse Clams Live
Horse clams live in ocean waters. You can find them in lower parts of the shore. They also live in deeper waters, sometimes as deep as 50 to 60 feet (about 13–15 meters).
Their Favorite Home
These clams like to bury themselves in sand, mud, or gravel. They usually dig down about 12 to 16 inches (30–41 cm). This makes them easier to dig up than geoducks. Other clams, like butter and littleneck clams, also like these same sandy spots. Because of this, horse clams are sometimes found when people are looking for other types of clams.
Friends in the Shell
Sometimes, small pea crabs live inside horse clams. These crabs are often a male and female pair. They get inside the clam through its large siphon, which is like a tube. The crabs live safely inside the clam's shell. They do not harm the clam at all. You can easily see these crabs if you open a horse clam.
Eating Horse Clams
The meat from horse clams is good to eat. It is often used to make tasty clam chowder. Even with the pea crabs inside, the clam meat is perfectly fine to eat.
