It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… a colony of clams?

Warwick lies directly in the middle of the anticipated flight path for an extremely rare aerial migration of quahogs, the iconic shellfish which have become both a culinary staple and a cultural mascot in Rhode Island.  Although small flocks of clams may continue to make flyovers intermittently throughout the spring, researchers predict that the highest level of local activity will be early on the morning of Saturday, April 1.

 “It’s honestly quite unusual for a migration event like this to occur,” said Dr. Vick Titious, a professor at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.  “Frankly, I’ve never witnessed it before in my career.  There have been documented claims of aerial mollusk migration lower on the Eastern Seaboard, but never at this volume and never in the Rhode Island area.”

Although it remains unclear what motivates the behavior, Dr. Titious says that most clams are not only capable of flight, but surprisingly adept at it.  Much of his work at the university’s Marine Science Research Facility has been dedicated to understanding the physiological process which allows the usually sedentary creatures to soar.

 “As bivalves, quahogs (mercenaria mercenaria) have extremely powerful adductor muscles, used to open and close their shells,” he explains.  “They also have a remarkably flexible hinge ligament holding the valves together.  By manipulating these, some clams are able to affect a sort of ‘flapping’ motion which they can use to keep themselves airborne for short spans of time.  They typically remain low over the water, almost like a skipping stone.  The problem is that migration events like this are extremely rare, so we haven’t had much of a chance to study them.  We’re not even sure why quahogs engage in this behavior. At the moment, our best guess is that they’re seeking food.”

A Surprisingly Senior Shellfish

Although aerial migration is extremely unusual for shellfish, some clams have been known to wander surprisingly far from home.  A 2.6 pound quahog, believed to have originated in northern waters, was recently discovered in the Florida Gulf; scientists have estimated the creature to be 214 years old, making its probable date of birth 1809.  The elderly bivalve was named after another notable figure born that year, with the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab bestowing upon it the moniker of “Abra-clam Lincoln.”

Quahogs are often considered the longest-lived members of the animal kingdom, something which scientists attribute to their exceptionally low metabolism rates.  The current record-holder for the world’s oldest individual (non-colony) organism is a 507 year old quahog from Iceland named Ming; unfortunately, the clam died during attempts to carbon date it.

Abra-clam was spared both from that fate and from the chowder pot, having been released back into ocean on March 4. The dents in his shell (which measured six inches long, three times that of a normal quahog) suggested that he was carried to Florida by ocean currents rather than flying.  Although scientists have not been able to confirm that the clam originated in Rhode Island, his age might make him the state’s very first “snowbird.”

Preparing for the Migration

Dr. Titious will be part of a team of researchers staking out local beaches on the morning of April 1st in the hopes of learning more about this rare ecological event.  “There has never been a high-quality video recording made of clams in flight, so we’re going to be focusing on collecting that footage,” he explains.

Warwick residents interested in viewing the phenomena for themselves should secure a position near the waterfront with good visibility; the clams are expected to be at their greatest volume between 6:00 - 8:00 AM.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that the flying quahogs may be lured by an offering of oyster crackers and easily trapped in a pot of boiling water.  Please be sure to follow all DEM regulations regarding shellfishing limits.

And, if you see Abra-clam, it might be best to just catch-and-release.