Geoduck

ocean · giant clam · Pacific Northwest · super strange

Enormous siphon. A geoduck's most famous feature is its long, wrinkly neck called a siphon that can grow longer than a foot. This siphon sucks in water to filter out tiny food, but it's so big the clam can never pull it all the way back inside its shell.

Shell stays put. Unlike many clams that burrow and move around, geoducks dig deep into sandy ocean bottoms and stay in the same spot for their whole lives, sometimes over 140 years. They're stuck about three feet underground, held in place by their powerful foot muscle.

Pacific home. Geoducks live in the cold, shallow waters of the Pacific coast from California all the way up to Alaska. They're a prized food in Asia and the Pacific Northwest, where people dig them up with special tools.

Weird family name. The name geoduck comes from the Lushootseed language of Native American peoples in the Pacific Northwest, and it's pronounced 'GOO-ee-duck.' These clams belong to a family called Hiatellidae that includes other tough ocean clams.

Strongest digger. Geoducks use a muscular foot to pull themselves down into the sand and stay anchored there. This foot is so powerful it keeps the clam from being dragged out by predators or ocean currents for decades.