# Pacific Gaper (*tresus nuttallii*) The Pacific Gaper is a fascinating clam that burrows into the sandy ocean floor! Kids will love learning how it filters food from the water around it. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** They live in sandy ocean bottoms along the Pacific coast. - **Also known as:** Gaper Clam, Pacific Clam ![Pacific Gaper](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/983435/medium.jpg) Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/983435) ## Appearance The Pacific Gaper has a large, thick shell, often dirty white or yellowish, that gaps open because its long, leathery siphon cannot fully retract. Its siphon tip can be orange or reddish, a key difference from similar clams. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Bivalvia - **Order:** Venerida - **Family:** Mactridae - **Genus:** Tresus ## Interesting facts - Baby gapers float as tiny larvae before settling down in the sand. - Its name 'gaper' comes from its shell not closing completely! - The gaper's siphon can sometimes be longer than its entire shell! - They are a favorite food for sea otters, who dig them up like buried treasure! ## Special abilities - **Deep Burrower:** Pacific Gaper can burrow almost a meter deep because of its powerful foot, which helps them hide from predators. - **Respiratory Tube:** Pacific Gaper has a super long siphon that helps them breathe and eat even when buried deep in the sand. - **Water Filter:** Pacific Gaper can filter large volumes of water because of special gills, helping them gather tiny food particles. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 25 cm - **Size:** 20 cm - **Weight:** 1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 20 years ## Diet & Feeding This giant clam sips tiny plants and animals from the water through its long straw-like siphon. - **Primary Foods:** phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus, algae - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Sea Otter](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sea-otter) (*Enhydra lutris*) — They are a key food source for hungry sea otters. - **Hunts:** Lewis' Moon Snail (*Neverita lewisii*) — Moon snails drill into their shells to reach the soft clam inside. - **Eats:** [Dungeness Crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dungeness-crab) (*Cancer magister*) — Crabs will sometimes prey on smaller or exposed Pacific Gapers. - **Depends on:** [Eelgrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eelgrass) (*Zostera marina*) — Eelgrass beds stabilize sediment, creating prime Gaper habitat. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pacific Gaper? Compare the overall shape, opening, spiral, ribs, hinge and surface sculpture. Beach shells often lose the colors and sharp edges they had on the living animal, so shape does most of the work. Seashell Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Pacific Gaper? 25 cm ### How much does Pacific Gaper weigh? 1.5 kg ### How long does Pacific Gaper live? 20 years ### What does Pacific Gaper eat? This giant clam sips tiny plants and animals from the water through its long straw-like siphon. ### Where is Pacific Gaper usually found? They live in sandy ocean bottoms along the Pacific coast. ### How does Pacific Gaper hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Sandwell Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sandwell-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Pacific Gaper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-gaper)