Southern Quahog

Mercenaria campechiensis, also known as the southern hardshell clam, southern hard clam, and southern quahog, is a species of bivalve belonging to the family Veneridae. The species is found in western North Atlantic north to New Jersey (USA), including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in waters shallower than 20 meters.

Mercenaria campechiensis is harvested commercially for human consumption. It can hybridize with Mercenaria mercenaria where their local distributions overlap. However, it typically occurs in nearshore open-ocean waters, whereas Mercenaria mercenaria is found in embayments and estuaries.