How do clams breed?

Answer 1

Clams may be male, female or both (hermaphroditic) depending on the species and the particular stage in its life cycle. For example, the hard clam (quahog) begins its life cycle as a male, then later on may become a female. The various kinds of cockles found around the world are all hermaphroditic as adults. There is no easy way to tell a male from a female clam. Fortunately, either sex tastes equally good, which for most people is probably all that matters in this regard. Quahogs, like other clam species, reproduce through a spawning process in which females release large numbers of eggs into the water, while males release sperm. Fertilization takes place in the open water. Females can release from 1 million to as many as 24 million eggs at one time, and spawning may continue for several months, depending on the water temperature and the availability of food. A single female may release up to 60 million eggs in a season, of which only a small number will become fertilized and grow to become adult clams. Once fertilization takes place, the young clam goes through a larval stage where it is carried by waves and currents. Eventually it develops a shell and sinks to the bottom. Using its muscular foot, it can then move about the bottom to some degree. At this point in the process, you may observe a white, frost like coating of young clams along tidal flats in areas where spawning took place. A single handful of this white mixture would contain thousands of tiny clams. Most would not survive, but some always did, as evidenced by the fresh supply of clams we find each year.

Answer 2

Clams reproduce by discharging sperm and egg cells in the open water on a certain time in a year. Once the sperm and egg cells meet up and after the fertilization of the egg, a larva is born that will turn into clams.

Answer 3

As water temperatures start to warm during Spring, both the male and female clams release their reproductive fluids. The seawater causes them to intermingle and fertilize. A female can release between 100,000 and 1,000,000 eggs at a time. There is no direct mating done, as oysters are buried in sediment their entire adult lives.

Answer 4

When a lady clam and a man clam really love each other, they give each other a special kind of hug that only mummys and daddy clams do, this then lets the stork know when to bring the baby clam. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Clams donÕt basically grow; they actually shed their shells through a process called molting. After a few days, a new shell will grow on the shell edge of a clam.

Answer 6

clams are born not from a tummy because the mommy is also the daddy

Answer 7

no. basically they "shed" their shells. actually called molting. they then grow a new shell within a few days.

Answer 8

Clams are aquatic animals that grow pretty fast. Within six to seven weeks they go from larvae to settling down as a clam.