Asian Clam

Scientific name: Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774)

Common names: Asian clam, Asiatic clam

Native To: Asia, Africa, and Australia (Sousa et al. 2008)

Date of U.S. Introduction: First discovered in 1938 in Washington State (Foster et al. 2012)

Images: Google

Video: NY Sea Grant - Invasive clams cause concern in Owasco Lake (or click Play button below)

Means of Introduction: Possibly imported as a food source (Sousa et al. 2008)

Impact: Reproduces in large colonies that can clog waterways and pipes (Foster et al. 2012)

Current U.S. Distribution: Widespread throughout freshwater and some estuarine habitats in the U.S.

• NAS Database map

Management Plans: Aquatic Species

Selected Internet Resources:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• University/Academic
• International
• Organizations

Corbicula fluminea
Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Taxonomy

Corbicula fluminea Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

Corbiculidae - Zebra Mussel Information System
DOD. USACE. Engineer Research and Development Center. Environmental Laboratory.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat

Asian clams
DOI. FWS. Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution

Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea - Nonindigenous Species Information Bulletin (May 2001; PDF | 374 KB)
DOI. USGS. Florida Caribbean Science Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Corbicula fluminea - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
DOI. USGS. Florida Integrated Science Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Special Note: Distribution by county

Corbicula fluminea - National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System, Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Aquatic Invasive Species: Asiatic Clam (Apr 2009; PDF | 318 KB)
Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Asian Clam: An Exotic Aquatic Species (PDF | 128 KB)
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Lakes and Ponds Program.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Asian Clam
Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency (New York).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle

Freshwater Aquatic Invasive Species in Rhode Island: Asian Clam (Sep 2010; PDF | 910 KB)
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Office of Water Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) - 2010 Utah Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PDF | 671 KB)
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Asian Clam - Literature Review (PDF | 100 KB)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) at Lake Tahoe
University of California - Davis. Tahoe Environmental Research Center.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Asian clam - Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest
University of Illinois. Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability. Illinois Natural History Survey.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Habitat

Asian Clam - Exotic Aquatics on the Move
National Sea Grant Network and Geographic Education Alliances.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Asian Clam - Aquatic Invasive Species of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Penn State Erie - The Behrend College.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Corbicula fluminea - Invasive Species Compendium
Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI).
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Corbicula fluminea - Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe (Jan 2008; PDF | 194 KB)
European Commission. Sixth Framework Programme.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

South America Invaded: Asian Clam
Global Invasive Species Programme.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts

Asian Clam
National Biodiversity Data Centre (Ireland). National Invasive Species Database.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution

Corbicula fluminea, Asian clam - Invasive Alien Species in Northern Ireland
National Museums Northern Ireland (United Kingdom).
Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Corbicula fluminea (mollusc) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Taxonomy; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Organizations

Exotic Invasive Species: Asian Clam
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (Louisiana).
Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls

Asian Clams - Lake George Fact Sheet No. 53 (Aug 2010; PDF | 144 KB)
Fund for Lake George (New York).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Asian Clam
Lake George Association (New York).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Corbicula fluminea
Pulling Together Initiative. Texasinvasives.org.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: References

Asian Clam (PDF | 902 KB)
Tahoe Resource Conservation District (California).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Citations

Foster, A.M., P. Fuller, A. Benson, S. Constant, D. Raikow, J. Larson, and A. Fusaro. 2012. Corbicula fluminea. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.

Sousa, R., C. Antunes, and L. Guilhermino. 2008. Ecology of the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) in aquatic ecosystems: an overview. International Journal of Limnology 44(2):85-94.