Gooey Ducks: just weird and delicious

Geoducks in an aquarium.: courtesy Flickr user cubemateA Geoduck (pronounced like 'gooey duck') is a weird one. There are creatures you see and think to yourself, damn, that's weird. Things like Big Foot, unicorns and giant spiders. The geoduck is in that category, except it's actually in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest too. Besides having a rather odd appearance, like a two-foot meat tube with a wallet glued to its back, these weird clams have several other qualities that push them deeper into the weird animal file.

Geoducks are among the oldest living creatures on Earth with an average age of 146 years. That's a long time to spend in a tributary in Seattle. Only a handful of animals survive longer, including some tortoises, some boring ass sponge from Antarctica and some other boring slimes and microscopic things. None of those animals are more action packed and exciting than the Geoduck.

Geoducks are also interesting "ahem" for their status as the largest burrowing clam on Earth. See, wasn't that exciting? So, attractive looking, well aged AND deep digging, always a great combination.

The Geoduck is good for sushi and is also considered a delicacy in China where its unique texture make it delicious, or so I've read. Also, like just about everything else gross or endangered it is said to be an aphrodisiac, so its got that going for it too, it's the Viagra of the bivalve world.

Due to its high value, up to $30 per pound, the geoduck industry is one of the most regulated fisheries on Earth. There is a ton of legislation in Canada and the United States about it, the industry is growing super fast and people need 'intimate time', so its use is only going to grow.