Found on the beaches of South Padre Island, Texas

[paul monfils]

Hi Sarabeth,

These are shells of the Southern Quahog, scientific name Mercenaria campechiensis.  The name "quahog" is of Indian (Native American) origin. The name "Mercenaria" is a reference to money, like the English word "mercenary".  It is so called because these shells were used by early Native Americans to make "wampum" beads - which they used as money.  This shell belongs to a family of molluscs called Veneridae, or in common terms, venus clams.

<a href="http://web.fccj.org/~dbyres/quahog/quahog.htm" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://web.fccj.org/~dbyres/quahog/quahog.htm">http://web.fccj.org/~dbyres/quahog/quahog.htm</a><!-- m --></a>  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-06-29 16:43:24 --</span>