Corbicula japonica

Corbicula japonica is an edible species of brackishwater clam, a bivalve mollusk in the family Cyrenidae, the basket clams.

Corbicula japonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Subclass:	Heterodonta
Order:	Venerida
Superfamily:	Cyrenoidea
Family:	Cyrenidae
Genus:	Corbicula
Species:	C. japonica
Binomial name
Corbicula japonica Prime, 1864

The common names of the species include Shijimi (after its Japanese name), Japanese basket clam, or Japanese blue clam.[1][2]

Summary

Japanese basket clams settle at the mouths of rivers in brackish water. During low tide, people are able to see them in tidal flats and collect them for food. Their shells are roughly 30-35mm and are reddish-brown while young, turning black as they mature. Their shells are glossy and have a tendency to grow concentric circles from their base, similar to Corbicula fluminea. The inside of their shells is purple when they are young and becomes white as they mature. Their reproduction is based on gonochorism.

As food

Shijimi miso soup

Shijimi and Asari (Venerupis philippinarum) are the most popular bivalvia-using miso soups in Japan, as well as soups using Tsukudani.[3]

See also

• Ornithine

References

1. "Corbicula japonica, Japanese corbicula : fisheries". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
2. Ishihara, Yukio; Ueta, Kazumi; Bito, Tomohiro; Takenaka, Shigeo; Yabuta, Yukinori; Watanabe, Fumio (2013). "Characterization of vitamin B12 compounds from the brackish-water bivalve Corbicula japonica". Fisheries Science. 79 (2): 321–326. doi:10.1007/s12562-013-0596-7. S2CID 15171596.
3. Kasai, Akihide; Toyohara, Haruhiko; Nakata, Akiko; Miura, Tsunehiro; Azuma, Nobuyuki (2006-01-01). "Food sources for the bivalve Corbicula japonica in the foremost fishing lakes estimated from stable isotope analysis". Fisheries Science. 72 (1): 105–114. doi:10.1111/j.1444-2906.2006.01123.x. ISSN 1444-2906. S2CID 26905032.