Here’s the scoop!
- Researchers believe a quahog clam found on a Florida beach is 214 years old.
- The clam was discovered by a man who was planning to eat it but took it to a lab instead, where researchers confirmed its age through the bands on its shell.
- The clam has been returned to the Gulf of Mexico.
A Florida man who was planning to make chowder out of shellfish got more than he bargained for when he stumbled upon a giant quahog clam on St. James Island. Weighing in at a whopping 2.6 pounds and measuring 6 inches in length, the clam was immediately recognized as something special.
After some investigation, researchers at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea confirmed that the clam was likely 214 years old, born in the same year as Abraham Lincoln.
Despite its age, the clam was not the oldest on record. That honor belongs to a quahog named Ming, discovered in 2007 off the coast of Iceland, which was found to be a remarkable 507 years old. Nevertheless, the Florida quahog was a rare find, and its age was confirmed through the alternating bands of light on its shell.
The clam was given a fitting name – Aber-Clam Lincoln – and then promptly returned to the Gulf of Mexico, where it will hopefully live out its remaining years in peace.
Source: upi.com
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