Geoduck
Panopea generosa A. A. Gould, 1850
Status not recordedmolluscs
The geoduck (Panopea generosa) is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Hiatellidae. It belongs to the order Adapedonta, the superfamily Hiatelloidea and the genus Panopea, within the phylum Mollusca of the kingdom Animalia.
Quick facts about the geoduck
The scientific name Panopea generosa was given by A. A. Gould in 1850, and the species is also called Pacific geoduck.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- 15 cm – 20 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- 140 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Longest recorded lifespan
- 179 years
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- coastalsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the geoduck?
Photos of the geoduck
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the geoduck live?
Not recorded
What is the geoduck?
The Pacific geoduck ( GOO-ee-duk; Panopea generosa) is a species of very large saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from the Lushootseed name, gʷidəq.
The geoduck is native to the coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. The shell of the clam ranges from 15 centimeters (6 in) to over 20 centimeters (8 in) in length, but the extremely long siphons make the clam itself much longer than this: the "shaft" or siphons alone can be 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in length. The geoduck is the largest burrowing clam in the world. It is also one of the longest-living animals of any type, with a typical lifespan of 140 years; the oldest has been recorded at 179 years old. The precise longevity of geoducks can be determined from annual rings deposited in the shell which can be assigned to calendar years of formation through crossdating. These annual rings also serve as an archive of past marine variability.
From the Wikipedia article “Geoduck” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geoduck&oldid=1384394418), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the geoduck endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the geoduck classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classBivalvia
- orderAdapedonta
- familyHiatellidae
- genusPanopea
- SpeciesPanopea generosa A. A. Gould, 1850
Synonyms Panopea generosa var. solida
Other names and names in other languages (13)
- 太平洋潛泥蛤 (象拔蚌)English
- Pacific geoduckEnglish
- Pacific geoduckEnglish
- dutinovka tichomořskáCzech
- ElefantenrüsselmuschelGerman
- Almeja chiludaSpanish
- Almeja generosaSpanish
- Vongola dalla proboscideItalian
- アメリカナミガイJapanese
- 코끼리조개Korean
- gʷidəqlut
- Панопея изначальнаяRussian
- 象拔蚌Chinese
Relatives of the geoduck
Other species in the same genus Panopea.
Geoduck
Panopea abrupta
Atlantic geoduck
Panopea bitruncata
Deepwater clam
Panopea zelandica
Japanese geoduck
Panopea japonica
CompareGeoduck vs GeoduckGeoduck vs Atlantic geoduckGeoduck vs Deepwater clamGeoduck vs Japanese geoduck
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is a geoduck?
The geoduck is a mollusc of the class Bivalvia, placed in the family Hiatellidae.
What is the scientific name of the geoduck?
The scientific name of the geoduck is Panopea generosa, in the genus Panopea.
Who named the geoduck and when?
The geoduck was named Panopea generosa by A. A. Gould in 1850.
What family does the geoduck belong to?
The geoduck belongs to the family Hiatellidae, in the superfamily Hiatelloidea and the order Adapedonta.
What other names does the geoduck have?
The geoduck is also called Pacific geoduck, and the sheet also lists the name 太平洋潛泥蛤 (象拔蚌).
What phylum is the geoduck in?
The geoduck is in the phylum Mollusca, within the kingdom Animalia.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Geoduck (Panopea generosa). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/panopea-generosa
“Geoduck (Panopea generosa).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/panopea-generosa.
@misc{panopea_generosa_2026,
title = {Geoduck (Panopea generosa)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/panopea-generosa},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}