Small Asian Clams Dig In Around San Francisco Bay

There are clams all over the bay, but not a one to eat.

Scientists say that a year ago, a species of tiny clams believed to come from the Asian coast were discovered in San Francisco Bay. Now there are millions in the muck along the bottom.

It’s too early to determine if the clam might displace other species in the bay, said Jim Carlton of the University of Oregon, an authority on marine transplants.

“It’s brand new, so the full-scale ecological consequences of the invasion probably won’t be measured for several years as we see how it spreads and where,” he said.

Carlton plans to send some specimens to Asian scientists to determine the clam’s origins.

At one time, the Soviet Union was thought to be the clam’s home because a similar mollusk was found there in the 1860s. “We know now that’s not true,” said Larry Schemel of the U.S. Geological Survey. “It appears right now that there’s a higher probability that the clam came from China.”

One thing is certain, though, they said. There is little chance that the clam will end up on menus at the city’s fashionable restaurants.

“The maximum size is half to three-quarters of an inch, so we’re not even talking about an hors d’oeuvre,” Carlton said.