Surf clam

The Atlantic surf clam, also called the bar clam, hen clam, skimmer or simply sea clam, is a very large, edible, saltwater clam or marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mactridae. It is one of the most commonly found species of bivalves in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Surf clams are a major commercial clam in the United States, processed into the strips used in fried clam dishes and the chopped clams in canned chowder and clam sauce. The tongue and adductor muscle are also used in sushi as hokkigai.

The Atlantic surf clam is a large bivalve that lives buried in sand on the continental shelf, from the shoreline out to deeper offshore waters. It's dredged commercially along the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.