Ruditapes philippinarum

The shell of Ruditapes philippinarum is elongate, oval, and sculptured with radiating ribs. It is generally 40 to 57 millimeters wide, with a maximum width of 79 millimeters. ==Distribution==

This clam is native to the coasts of the Indian, Philippines and Pacific Oceans from Pakistan and India north to China, Japan, Korea and the Kuril Islands. It has an extensive nonnative distribution, having been introduced accidentally and purposely as a commercially harvested edible clam. It is now permanently established in coastal ecosystems in many parts of the world. ==Habitat==

This burrowing clam is most abundant in subtropical and cooler temperate areas. It can be found in shallow waters in substrates of coarse sand, mud, and gravel. It lives in the littoral and sublittoral zones. It burrows no more than about 10 centimetres into the substrate. It sometimes lives in eelgrass beds. This species lives in many types of habitat, being found in the intertidal zone, brackish waters, estuaries, and under ice. It survives in a range of salinities and temperatures, with narrower ranges required for breeding. ==Biology and ecology==

This clam may become sexually mature in its first year of life, when it reaches about 15 millimeters in width, especially in warmer areas such as Hawaii. In cooler areas, it begins breeding at older ages and larger sizes. In warmer regions, it spawns year-round, but only in the summer in cooler areas. The fecundity of the species increases with size, a 40-millimeter female producing up to 2.4 million eggs. ==Commercial value==

Manila clam represents 25% of commercially produced mollusks in the world. It is sold live or frozen. == Culinary uses ==

The clam is frequently eaten in Asia, especially in the Philippines, Korea, and Japan, where they are often used in soups and noodle dishes. Miso soup of Japanese littleneck clam(asari) 2014.jpg|Japanese miso soup with asari clams 丸亀製麺 あさりうどん.jpg|Japanese udon noodles with asari clams File:深川弁当, つきじ喜代村, ecute Tokyo, TSUKIJI KIYOMURA, ＪＲ東京駅, 東京駅, 東京, 日本, Lunch, JR East Station, Tokyo Station, Tokyo, Japan (13748708723).jpg|Japanese ekiben lunch box topped with asari clams Asari Senbei 20170716.jpg|Japanese senbei cookies with dried asari clam Bajirak-kalguksu 20230126 002.jpg|Korean kal-guksu noodles with bajirak clams Bajirak-kongnamul-guk.jpg|Korean kongnamul-guk (soybean sprout soup) with bajirak clams ==References==