◥ There are many people on the beach near Starlight Island to catch the sea.
◤ Philippine curtain clams (1), Chinese machoe clams (2) and purple blood clams (3) in the waters of Lingshan Bay.
Text/Photo Peninsula All-Media Reporter Zhang Jing Mao Ziquan
As the saying goes, "A mountain has four seasons, ten miles of different days", which is said to be because the terrain height changes greatly, the temperature varies, bringing about different geographical features. A few days ago, the reporter also had a similar experience in the sea area of Lingshan Bay in the West Coast New Area, on the 3 beaches less than 5 kilometers apart, the clam varieties harvested by the citizens rushing to the sea are completely different: there are not only small flower clams, but also a much larger Chinese machoe clam, and an uncommon purple colored blood clam. The same is a sea, ten miles different clams, you say magic is not magical?
First stop: near Starlight Island
Filipino curtain clams, small but beautiful
According to ocean forecasts, the first low on March 11 will occur around 10 a.m. The reporter did his homework and set off from the shinan district early in the morning. Along the way, bathed in the morning light, blowing the gentle sea breeze, breathing in the fresh air, people feel refreshed.
At about 8:00 a.m., the reporter rushed to the first stop of the day - near Xingguang Island in the West Coast New Area. At this time, there are already many women on the beach who have come to catch the sea, and their equipment is also very professional: small carts, mazas, small rakes, small hoes, salt for digging clams, feet wearing rain boots, wind and sun protection are also very well done, everyone is tightly wrapped, they are digging very intently, and the buckets next to each person also have a lot of "booty".
When I came forward to inquire, I found that everyone was digging clams. The reporter observed that their buckets contained some very small clams. It is understood that this is the most common kind of clam in life, the scientific name is the Philippine curtain clam, usually also known as variegated clam or Philippine clam, which is often said to be a flower clam. "This clam is very fresh, go back to boiling, peel the meat out, dumplings, buns are particularly delicious!" Ms. Wang, who is catching the sea, told reporters that she can dig two or three pounds or even three or four pounds at a time.
The reporter found that these small clams were "buried" very shallow, often less than 10 centimeters from the surface. It is understood that the Philippine curtain clam generally has a shell length of 2.5 to 5.7 cm, and the shape is slightly oval; the color and pattern of the shell surface vary greatly, and the appearance is generally creamy, brown, dark brown, and there are dense brown or ruddy bands or spots and patterns; the inner surface of the shell is white, pink, light gray or flesh red.
Philippine curtain clam is widely distributed in the coastal areas of China, it grows rapidly, the breeding cycle is short, the adaptability is strong, the survival time from the water is long, it is an excellent shellfish suitable for artificial high-density culture, and it is one of the four major farmed shellfish in China. Because of its tender meat, delicious taste, rich nutrition and low price, it is a popular small seafood.
When the reporter was ready to leave, more than forty people were already digging clams on the beach.
Second stop: The mouth of the Two Rivers
Chinese horse clam, large and shallow
Driving about 3.5 kilometers, the reporter came to the second stop of the trip , the mouth of the Two Rivers. Unexpectedly, the two seasides, which are only a few kilometers apart, are completely different scenes: the beaches at the mouth of the two rivers are flat and open, so the people who catch the sea look relatively sparse, and there are many fishermen fishing in the nets.
Compared with the sea area of Starlight Island with some black sea mud, the beach at the mouth of the Two Rivers River is high in sand content, relatively soft and soft, and it is very comfortable to step on. The sand that emerges after low tide is shaped in a circle of lines, much like looking down at the terraces in the sky. Many places still leave a clear inlet, if you look closely, the fine sand of the inlet is inlaid with black shells, that is a complete rainbow, the reporter picked up several.
Many sea catchers here are digging clams, but the harvested clams are generally much larger than those near Starlight Island, and the pattern is different. According to the residents of the sea, there is no regularity in digging this clam, and it is enough to use a small hoe to gently dig the sand to five or six centimeters, and his harvest in three or four days can fill a large bucket, and the number is not very large. However, according to the reporter's observation, "seriously" rushing to the sea once here, the harvest is enough for a family to eat a meal. Fortunately, the reporter picked up an oversized clam on the beach, which was five centimeters long.
After searching for information and consulting experts, it was learned that the scientific name of the clam at the mouth of the Two Rivers river was called The Chinese Machoe Clam, which is also known as the Chinese Clam. Chinese clams prefer to live on fine sandy beaches in the mid-tide zone of the intertidal zone, generally up to a depth of 60 meters. It is mainly distributed in Liaoning and Shandong in China, and it is also distributed in Japan and Korea. Its shell is rounded and triangular, the shell is reddish brown, the shell surface is smooth, the shell top is purple, and the inside of the shell is white pottery.
The reporter walked on the beach and was surprised to find a large octopus crawling on the beach. This kind of scene has been seen almost in small videos, many of which are buried by the photographers themselves and dug them out, and they did not expect that the reporter would actually encounter an octopus here. I didn't go far, and then I accidentally found a strange little creature. Its entire body is a hard carapace, "material" very similar to the Pippi shrimp, oval shaped and small, even fishermen can not be named. After confirmation, it was learned that this thing turned out to be "Haizhi", which is also a rare delicacy.
"Sea knows" scientific name cicada shrimp, offshore beach distribution is extremely rare, after frying, the entrance is crispy, delicious and abnormal. Due to the extremely small yield, the meat is more delicious than crabs and lobsters, so it is extremely precious, and naturally it is also very valuable. Nowadays, "Haizhi" is very rare. Unlike ordinary shrimp and barracuda crabs, the maturity period of "Haizhi" takes at least two years, and most of the people who are served to the table are over 3 years old. That's why many ecological experts have called for its protection.
Third stop: The mouth of the Wind River
Purple color blood clams, hidden deep and precious
Continuing to drive for 5 kilometers, the reporter came to the third stop of the trip - the mouth of the Wind River. As soon as he arrived at the beach, the reporter saw an uncle digging something with a shovel in the distance. Looking closer, I was actually digging for clams. Look again, the clams in the barrel are all brown patterns, and they are not small! According to the uncle, what he dug was called a fan-faced clam, and the scientific name was not clear.
Experts have confirmed that this is a precious purple blood clam, commonly known as olive blood clam. Flat body, thin shell, shell mask has several circular purple bands and different from general shellfish, in the Jiaodong Peninsula is more commonly found in the shoals around the T-shaped Bay, Yantai Muping beach and some beaches in Rizhao are also distributed. This clam has tender meat, delicious taste and strong aroma, and is a valuable edible shellfish. The harvesting period is from December to March of the following year, and the burial depth is generally more than 20 cm.
The reporter tried it, and it was not easy to dig up this clam. Seeing this scene, the uncle demonstrated on the spot how to dig up purple blood clams: first of all, to find a place with "eyes" in the sand, go down a shovel needs to be soaked in water, basically to determine that there are clams buried here; then step on the back of the shovel, solid and solid to dig out a large lump of sand, and then pull from this to look for, sure enough to see one. According to the uncle, there is only one clam under each "eye". That is to say, just that operation, only one piece can be dug out at a time, so it is very precious.
On the beach, there were two other people digging for blood clams, but they adopted another tactic: first dig a U-shaped pit half a meter square, one person kept pulling out the sand with a shovel, and the other person was responsible for noticing whether there were clams in the newly dug sand, and then picking them up...
Obviously, it is a few places not far apart, why are there such a big difference in clam varieties? The staff of the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment told reporters that the clam varieties produced in these places are not the same, and they are generally considered to be related to their different living environments: this includes the salinity of seawater, the type of substrate on the seabed, and so on. You see, the sea is so magical!