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Carpet shell Clam (Venerupis pullastra)

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Common name - Carpet shell Clam
Scientific name - Venerupis pullastra
Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Caught at sea Hand-gathering, Manual digging, Raking
Capture Area North East Atlantic  FAO 27
Stock Area All Areas
Stock Detail I-IX
Summary
Avoid eating clams dredged from wild stocks. Choose clams harvested in the wild by sustainable methods only. Avoid eating undersized animals (less than 1cm) and wild clams harvested during the spawning season (May - September).
Biology
Carpet or venus shells are bivalve molluscs found burrowing in sand and silty mud, usually from around the low tide mark to about 40m depth. Preferred habitats include embayments, estuaries, and sealochs. They are found throughout the UK where appropriate habitats exist, but the largest stocks occur off the west coast of Scotland and the southern coast of England. They are filter-feeding bivalves, feeding on plankton and organic material in the water column. The sexes are separate and reproduction occurs externally, usually between May and September. The shell is oval and grows up to 10cm, although average size tends to be around 5cm. Carpet shells have a lifespan of 6-10 years and are sexually mature at 1 year of age.
Stock Information
Avoid eating clams dredged from wild stocks. Hydraulic dredges remove prey species and undersized clams from the ecosystem, which has potential to degrade the ecosystem. Where available buy clams harvested using more sustainable harvesting methods, such as hand-collection. Avoid eating undersized animals (less than 1cm) and wild clams harvested during the spawning season (May - September).
Capture Information
Clams may be harvested by manual digging or raking, or by mechanical methods e.g. suction or hydraulic dredge. Manual harvesting methods cause less disturbance to sediment than mechanical methods.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Read what the consumer pages of the Good Fish Guide say about this species.