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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Aquatic Invasives
  3. Aquatic Invertebrates
  4. Asian Clam

Asian Clam

Scientific Name

Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774) (ITIS)

Common Name

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)

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.

Asian clams

Asian clams, adult

Credit

Photo by Shawn Liston; Audubon of Florida

Source
Invasive.org.

Find more images

Spotlights

  • Asian Clams and Native Mussel Growth

    • Apr 22, 2021

    • USDA. FS. Southern Research Station. CompassLive.

    • Native freshwater mussels grew more slowly when invasive Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) were abundant. The study was led by Wendell Haag, a USDA Forest Service research fisheries biologist. It was published in the journal Freshwater Biology. Mussels live out of sight – buried in the river bottom, eating algae and other small particles of organic material. Mussels are filter feeders and key members of aquatic ecosystems. Unfortunately, mussels are disappearing worldwide, and about 70 percent of the 300 mussel species native to the U.S. are in danger of extinction. Addressing mussel declines is difficult because their causes are mostly unknown.

  • Invasive Clam Discovered by Sherburne County Youth

    • Nov 9, 2020

    • University of Minnesota Extension.

    • This past August, a new population of golden clams, Corbicula fluminea, was discovered by twelve-year-old budding conservationist, William Guthrie. The new infestation was found in Briggs Lake (Sherburne County). The discovery of golden clams in Briggs Lake is significant because it is an inland lake with no supplemental heat source. If the clams can survive our winter months, they could also spread and reproduce in additional lakes and rivers. Similar to zebra mussels, infestations of golden clams can clog water intake pipes and alter local ecosystems.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Videos

All Resources

View and Filter All Asian Clam Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force

  • Fact Sheet: Asian Clam [PDF, 2.21 MB]

    • Jan 2018

    • Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).

    • See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act

Partnership
Federal Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Professional
Citations