Steamers (Mya arenaria) 

Biology: Steamers are found in tidal mudflats. They burrow between 6" and 10" down into the mud. Their range includes the entire East Coast as well as parts of the UK. They feed using two siphons that extend up to the surface of the mud and enable them to filter and excrete water. With their soft shells, they make appetizing prey for moonsnails, green crabs, and sea gulls

Sustainability status: The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has little data on steamer abundance because steamers are not widely distributed and have a very patchy distribution. However, landings data indicate that the resource has declined in the upper Narragansett Bay, where it tends to be most abundant, over the last five years.

Harvest: Steamers are caught by digging and diving.
 

Available live, year round.

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