For centuries, shipworm clams have been burrowing into wooden boats and hulls, causing distress to sailors. Soon, though, we may be able to treat these "bugs" as delicious seafood, as they are successfully farmed for the first time.
The boat clam looks like a worm, but is actually a type of bivalve mollusk. This means they are related to clams, mussels and oysters. However, since they are protected throughout their lives within the wood they eat, only the front end has a small shell to help them drill through the wood.
In the Philippines, clams are often harvested from the wild and sold as a delicacy. They are said to taste like oysters. The clam also contains significantly more vitamin B12 than most molluscs, according to scientists from the Universities of Plymouth and Cambridge.
They also grow faster than any other bivalve because they don't have to expend as much energy to generate their tiny shells. In just 6 months, they can grow to about 30 cm (12 inches) long. In comparison, mussels and oysters have much larger shells and can take up to two years to grow to harvestable size.
With these characteristics in mind, a team led by Dr Reuben Shipway from the University of Plymouth and Dr David Weller from the University of Cambridge developed a modular aquaculture system for growing shipworm clams away from the ocean. This means that no waste is dispersed into the surrounding ocean, which is an environmental issue faced by marine fish farms.
The clam farm consists of multiple saltwater tanks, each containing a wooden plank filled with the shells, which is made from discarded or recycled wood. Although these tanks are vented, no water circulation system is required.
In addition, if special algae particles are added to the woody food of clams, the harvested bivalve shellfish can also obtain rich nutrients such as Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Still, consumers may not like eating anything with the word "worm" in its name. Therefore, scientists plan to market the bivalve as a "naked clam." The researchers also believe the bivalve may be best suited as a fish replacement, used in processed products such as fish fillets or fish cakes, rather than being sold as a separate food product.
"We urgently need alternative food sources that provide the rich micronutrients of meat and fish without the environmental cost, and our system provides a sustainable solution," Shipway said. "From eating beef burgers to eating naked clam chunks, this could very well be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Sustainable Agriculture.