THE BAY QUAHAUG _ ' . p by Jim Jenkins 
     
    
   
   
    
     The bay quahaug (Mercenaria mercenaria) is a hard shelled clam of the 
     
     family Veneridae. It is also known by a variety of names such as northern 
     
     'quahaug (also spelled quahog and sometimes misspelled cowhog), little neck, 
     
     hard shell clam, or cherrystone. Some of the names are derived from the 
     
    
   
   
    
     commercial fishery, e.g. little necks are 1 1/2" - 2f, cherrystones are 2" - 2V 
     
     l/éfi, mediums 2 1/2" — 3", and chowders are 3" and larger.‘ The minimum legal 
     
     isize on P.E.I. is 2" (50 mm.).with a maximum growth size of 5" (13 cm.) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Quahaugs are common in the bays and estuaries arOund P.E.I. They have 
     
     thick, hard white_to grayish white shells and are oval in appearance. 
     
     Externally they have raised concentric ridges whiCh are evident in younger 
     
    

    
     vclams and, as the clam ages, the outside is worn smooth. 'The inside of the 
     
     shell has a distinctive-purple coloured muscle scar. If you run your finger 
     
     lover the inside rounded portion of the shell, you will feel the toothed inner 
     
     margin (rough to the touch). _ ~ 'r " 
     
    

    
     ' External colour can be altered depending on the bottom sediment.. Sandy 
     
     areas usually produce white shells while soft mud produces a dark.to almost 
     
     black exterior. ' ‘ “ 
     
    

    
     Clams similar to the quahaug include the ocean quahaug (Attica 
     
     islandica) found in very deep waters in the Northumberland Strait. Another is 
     
     the false quahaug (Pita: morrhuana) whoSe maximum size is 2" (50 mm). The 
     
     shells are white sometimes with an orangy-red tinge. .The inner margin of the 
     
     rounded shell will feel smooth to the touch.’ ' 
     
    

    
     As you drive across the 
     
     North River Causeway and look 
     
     downstream_towards the harbour 
     
     mouth, you may have noticed 
     
     several sticks in the mud or 
     
     dories with red flags. These are 
     
     used in the contamihated shellfish 
     
     relay program. The type of 
     
     contamination is from fecal 
     
     coliform which is readily cleansed 
     
     in pure water areas. We are 
     
     fortunate not.to have to contend .'_ r 
     
     with heayy industry producing 
     
     cadmium, mercury, lead, etc. 
     
    

    
     The relay is a strictly regulated fishery in which the quahaugs are 
     
     harvested with tongs (similar to oyster tongs) or by hand and then put in mesh 
     
     bags, sealed, tagged , and shipped to,a depuration site (the area with clean 
     
     water where they clean themselves of the coliform bacteria). Such a site is 
     
     located at Macwilliams Seafoods located on the Hillsborough (East) River at 
     
     Fort Augustus- The quahaugs in the mesh bags are‘placed on the'cleanwater 
     
     lease site-and allowed to cleanse at least l4 days. It usually takes about 
     
     three days to complete cleansing but the extra 11 days are added as a safety 
     
     margins Both the harvest and cleanwater areas are tested for backgrOund 
     
    

    
     ' levels of bacteria prior to and during harvest and the product is sampled-and 
     
    

    
     tested before harvest and 14 days after cleansing. The testing is-carried out 
     
    

    
     Vat the Atlantic Veterinary College or Fisheries & Oceans laboratory according 
     
    

    
     to a set of fixed standards- Only after the product is totally cleansed will 
     
    

    
     it be allowed to_be marketed. .' v