It is not often that you see a living horse clam on the surface of the beach unless you have taken the effort to dig one out yourself. That’s why Jocie and I initially thought that the Pacific gaper (Tresus nuttallii) that we found at Miracle Beach was dead. We quickly realized otherwise after touching the extended siphon and watching …
Horse Clam
Horse Clam Shells
In my last post I wrote about finding weird but fascinating Horse Clam siphons sticking out of the sand and trying to identify the species based on what could be seen on the surface. Fortunately it is a lot easier to separate the Fat Gaper (Tresus capax) from the Pacific Gaper (Tresus nuttallii) if you’ve got shells that you’ve found …
Flacid Horse Clam Siphons
I love turning over rocks in the intertidal zone – you never know what you might find! Many creatures that live in the intertidal zone bury themselves beneath the surface. Looking for clues that there is living creature under the sand or gravel is very worthwhile. Finding the siphon of a horse clam (Tresus sp.) can be a provocative discovery. …