Identifying the gold clam | NIWA

Gold clam field guide

Your waterside guide to identifying the invasive gold clam (PDF 1,810 KB)

Gold clam field guide: How to fold

This guide can be printed at A3 size double-sided and then folded to A6 size

Gold clam ID Guide

Download the Gold clam ID Guide (PowerPoint presentation 15.5 MB):

Gold clam, kaakhi and native pea clam images

2025_02_GOLD CLAM HUI_LO-RES_brennan — Adult gold clam with an eroded area at the top of the shell. This is common in adult clams.

Stay vigilant! The ‘invisibility’ to the naked eye of the tiny juvenile phase makes it difficult to determine their presence.

Measuring corbicula_Melchior (2).jpg — Juvenile through to adult gold clams. Note the distinctive ridges on each life stage.

Assorted gold clams showing the colour variety and with and without eroded areas.

Adult kaakahi/kaaeo are larger than gold clams, oval in shape and black/brown in colour.

Juvenile kaakahi/kaaeo are very pale/pearl with ridges.

The native pea clam (Sphaeriidae) are while/cream, more circular than gold clams and have no ridges on their shell. They are very small (generally less than 6 mm).

Adult kaakahi/kaaeo — Adult kaakahi/kaaeo.

Smaller kaakahi/kaaeo may be golden or have a green ridge. There will be no defined ridges on their shell.

	
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