Striped Venus Clam
Chamelea
gallina
the Adriatic clam
The Striped venus clam is a bivalve mollusc that lives under the sand, near the coast. The shell shape is oval-triangular with small concentric lines, the colour is white-grey with dots and streaks that make a zigzag.
Technical sheet
The reproductive cycle begins in spring and stops in late summer, at one year old it begins to reproduce and around the second-third year old it reaches commercial size. The common size is 25 – 35mm and the maximum length of this mollusc is about 40 – 50mm. This product can exclusively being fished on a natural stocks, especially in the Middle and Upper Adriatic sea. Our clams are fished with boats called “turbosoffianti”, equipped with mechanised dredges. This species of molluscs is very popular for its excellent meat.
Chamelea gallina
COMMERCIAL DESIGNATION
Striped Venus Clam
Click here for the complete technical sheet
FOREIGN NAMES
Spain: Chirla; Portugal: Pé-de-burrinho;
France: Vénus gallinette; Greece: Χάλαρο;
Italy: Vongola o lupino;
Germany: Gemeine Venusmuschel
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Chamelea gallina
(Linneo, 1758)
*Scientific name modified following a new Ministerial Decree v. G.U. no. 266 of 24.11.2017
FAMILY
Veneridae
COMMERCIAL SIZE
25 mm
*22 mm from 01/01/17 for 3 years as indicated in UE da Reg. UE 2016/2376
* commercial minimum size extended until the 31th december 2025 (Reg. UE 2020/22587, see Official Journal of the European Union from 30\12\2022
FISHING AREAS
Class A areas (Reg. CE 854/2004);
The products from class B areas will be depurated.
ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance: intact shells; free of dirt, epibionts and epiphytes; with adequate response to percussion. Inside the mantle cavity the meat is lucid with a creamy white colour and normal amounts of intravalvular liquid.
TREATMENT
The striped venus clams are bought principally from class A areas. In case of some goods from class B areas they will be going through a purification treatment before the selling.
NUTRITIONAL VALUES
(in 100g of edible part)
Protein 10,2 g
Carbohydrate 2,2 g
Total fat 2,5 g
(Source: Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione)
PECULIARITY
These animals must be alive when sold. No other allergens contained.
SHELF LIFE
The medium life of these molluscs after the caught, in refrigeration condition, is 7 days.
STORAGE TEMPERATURE
Between +2° ÷ +6° C
CONDITIONS OF USE
These molluscs are to be consumed only after cooking. See label on the product.
PACKAGING
The striped venus clams are packaged in mesh bags (PE-HD material), suitable for food contact (see FCM technical sheet).