Meretrix lamarckii, also called Korean clam or Korean hard clam, is a species of saltwater bivalve in the family Veneridae.Meretrix lamarckii at GBIF It is the second species of venerid clam where doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) has been identified.
Genomics A chromosome-level genome assembly of Meretrix lamarckii was published in 2026, providing the first reference genome for the species. The genome is approximately 890.5 Mb in size and comprises 19 pseudo-chromosomes. The assembly has a BUSCO completeness of 99.5% and contains 33,346 predicted protein-coding genes.
Ecology It is a medium-sized clam which lives in sandy sediments from the subtidal zone to a depth of 20 meters. In the waters off Hyūga, Miyazaki, it spawns between late July and early September.
Relationship to humans M. lamarckii is edible and economically important in China; commercial fishing has greatly disrupted the habitat where it lives.Shao YQ, Zhang JM, Fang J et al (2017). "Reproductive cycle and early development of Meretrix lamarkii (Veneroida: Veneridae) under artificial conditions" (in Chinese with English abstract). J Fish Sci China 24:82–90 It is a filter feeder which primarily feeds on phytoplankton. Its shell is used to make the white stones used in Go.
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