Native Littleneck Clam – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Overview

Species Common Name Native Littleneck Clam
Species Scientific Name Leukoma staminea

Ecoregions

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon’s Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Special needs

Native littleneck clams occur in cobbly intertidal and shallow subtidal habitat.

Limiting factors

Larval supplies and episodic recruitment affect abundance and distribution.

Data gaps

Evaluate current abundance and distribution relative to that which existed historically. Assess population densities, size/age structure, and recruitment.

Conservation actions

Monitor status of populations at index sites. Gather information to fill data gaps. Manage for sustainable harvest.