Panopea zelandica, commonly known as the Deepwater Clam or New Zealand geoduc (geoduck

Geoduck

The geoduck , Panopea generosa, is a species of very large saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Hiatellidae.The shell of this clam is large, about to over in length, but the very long siphons make the clam itself very much longer than this: the "neck" or siphons alone can be ...

), is a large species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 bivalve mollusc in the family Hiatellidae

Hiatellidae

Hiatellidae is a family of bivalve molluscs in the order Myoida. It contains five genera.-Genera:* Cyrtodaria Reuss, 1801 * Hiatella Bosc, 1801** Hiatella arctica * Panomya Gray, 1857 * Panopea Menard, 1807...

. Panopea zelandica is also sometimes called a King Clam or a Gaper in reference to the shell not being closed at either end.

It can be found around the North

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

, South

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

 and Stewart

Stewart Island/Rakiura

Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...

islands and occurs mainly in shallow waters (5–25 metres) in sand and mud off sandy ocean beaches.

Like other geoducs it burrows downwards in the mud and extends a siphon 30-45 centimetres up to the surface of the substrate. The siphon contains two tubes. Water is sucked down one tube, filtered for food and then expelled through the other.