Although we sell many types of seafood, our main product is the hard shell clam.   

               The hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, is a bivalve found in greatest abundance in the more saline areas of the Chesapeake Bay and near-shore ocean waters. It is an important member of the suspension-feeding, benthic fauna of the lower Chesapeake Bay, where it exists in salinities above 12 parts per thousand. Unlike the oyster, which tolerates a fairly wide range of salinity levels, the hard clam does well only in the saltier waters of the open Bay and Ocean.

               The hard clam is known by many names: round clam, quahog, littleneck, cherrystone and chowder clam. In most stages the hard clam has thick hard shells that contrast with the thin, easily broken shells of the soft-shell. "Littleneck" refers to the two barely visible siphons that can be seen in freshly shucked clams just below one of the cut muscles. They are separate from each other and short, so the hard clam does not burrow deeply.

               The hard clam has a thick tan shell, usually egg- or heart-shaped, with concentric growth lines on its exterior. Its white interior has a deep purple stain surrounding its muscle scar, and its hinge has three white cardinal teeth. This species may grow to a width of four inches.

Common varieties of the hard shell clam:                                           

                              Pasta Neck  - under 7/8" wide

                             Little Neck - 7/8" to 1" wide

                             Middle Neck - 1" to 2" wide

                             Top Neck - 2" to 2 1/2" wide

                             Cherrystone - 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" wide

                             Chowder - over 3 1/2" wide

               Of all sizes, most of our business is in the Little Neck.  This smaller version is the most popular and commonly used for steaming, raw bars, and dishes such as Clams Casino.  All of our Little & Middle Necks come from company owned aqua culture beds in the shallow waters surrounding the coastline on both the seaside and bayside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.