Rhode Island Boy Finds Largest Clam

Rhode Island Boy Digs up Massive 2 1/2-pound Mollusk. An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy out clamming with his grandfather pulled what he initially thought to be a rock out of the water and discovered it was actually a massive quahog, a large species of clam.

The University of Rhode Island’s Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett Bay said Cooper Monaco, 11, was clamming with his grandfather in Weekapaug when he discovered the quahog, which measures 5.75 inches across and weighs 2 pounds, 7.75 ounces.

“I was down on my hands and knees in the water looking for clams, and I touched this huge rock thing,” the boy said. “I always pull out rocks and throw them to the side and look under them. And then I felt the edge of it and I thought, ‘holy moly, this is a clam.’ So I pulled it out. It was amazing.”

Monaco donated the quahog to the research facility, which said it might be the largest clam ever discovered in Rhode Island waters.

The age of the quahog has yet to be determined. A quahog dubbed Ming was dredged from Icelandic waters in 2006 and scientists determined it was 507 years old. The clam found by Monaco is “comparable in size to Ming,” the Marine Science Research Facility said.

Content contributed by Ben Hooper, reported from Weekapaug, Rhode Island, sourced by UPI.