Greenland cockle

SIZE : 

Up to 11 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY : 

Up to 48 years.

LIFE CYCLE : 

Sexual maturity approximately 2 to 3 years for males, and 3 to 4 years for females.

Greenland cockles are hermaphrodites; in other words, they have both male and female parts. Sperm and eggs are expelled, and fertilization takes place in the water column. The embryos develop into free-swimming larvae, before metamorphosing into the juvenile form and settling on the bottom.

Coastal zone, up to 100 m deep.

The Greenland cockle buries itself in soft bottoms of sand or mud.

PREY :

Plankton

MACHINES :

Hydraulic dredge.

REGULATIONS :

Offshore clam diggers (Stimpson’s surf clams and northern quahog) can harvest Greenland cockles as an unrestricted incidental catch.

There is no directed fishing for Greenland cockles.

BENEFITS : 

Bivalve molluscs are excellent sources of vitamin B12, Omega-3 fatty acids, choline, iron, selenium, and zinc. They are low in fat and carbohydrates.

LET’S COOK : 

Meat-like texture, tender. Delicate flesh with a sweet-salty flavor.

Cockles can be prepared in many different ways: in a white wine sauce, braised in a pan, in risottos or pasta, and can even be eaten raw, as in sashimi.

OUR CULINARY ADVICE :

• Before preparation, soak Greenland cockles in fresh water for several hours to remove sand from the shells.