What does the soft shell clam eat?
Soft shell clams are filter feeders. They draw water in through their incurrent siphon and filter out microscopic algae. Unused particles are ejected through the exhalent siphon. How does the soft shell clam reproduce? Soft shell clams usually spawn twice per year: once in late spring and once in mid- to late autumn. • Both eggs and sperm are released into the water column. The number of eggs a female releases depends on the clam’s size. • Eggs develop into larvae within one day of being fertilized. • Larvae swim freely for about one to three weeks, during which they develop their foot and shells. • When the larvae are ready to metamorphose into juvenile clams, they swim near and crawl on the bottom for several hours before settling. Newly settled clams, called spat, usually attach themselves to any available surface with thin threads secreted from a gland on the foot. • Small juvenile soft shell clams can be very active, crawling about with their foot. Eventually the clam burrows perm
