What is the difference between sand clams and flower clams? Learn to tell them apart easily

Clams are mollusks with oval shells, light brown in color with purple edges, living on the shallow sea floor, and include varieties such as flower clams and sand clams. So what is the difference between sand clams and flower clams?

The sand clam is also known as sea mussel, red egg, and Xishi tongue. It belongs to the class Bivalvia, order Veneroida, family Mactridae. The shell is nearly triangular, large and thin. It inhabits the sea floor from the lower intertidal zone to sandy or sandy-mud bottom waters at depths of 20 m. It lives as a burrower, at depths of up to 7—10 cm. Its main food is diatoms. It is distributed along the coasts of China, with larger numbers in the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. It is usually caught with rake-toothed fishing gear or collected by diving. The meat is tender and delicious, and can be eaten fresh.

The flower clam is widely distributed in the northern and southern sea areas of China. It grows quickly, has a short farming cycle, strong adaptability (wide temperature, wide salinity, wide distribution), and survives a long time out of water. It is an excellent shellfish species suitable for artificial high-density farming, and is one of China's four major farmed shellfish. It is a species ranging from the subtropical to the low cold-temperate zones of the western Pacific, and is also distributed in the temperate regions of Europe.

Sand clams and flower clams have different growing environments and different patterns, but similar nutritional value. Stir-fried flower clams are very fragrant, while sand clams are more suitable for making soup.