How to Dissect a Clam

Clams belongs in the phylum Mollusca which includes but is not limited to snails, slugs and squid. It has a mantle that covers it's soft fleshy body and a strong muscular foot that allows the clam to bury into the mud and sand. Many elementary and middle school students dissect a clam to learn how to locate organs and systems in a living species. Learn how to dissect a clam.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Adorn a lab apron, glasses and latex gloves. This will protect you from splatter while you dissect the clam.

2. Lay the clam in a tray used for dissection. Before you dissect the clam locate the anterior and posterior end and dorsal, ventral and lateral surfaces of the clam.

3. Find the umbo of the clam. This is the lump that is located at the anterior end of the clam. From here you can see the hinge ligament which holds the valves together.

4. Flip the clam so that it's dorsal side is face down and implant a flat head screwdriver among the ventral edges of the valves. Rotate the screwdriver so that the valves are separated a centimeter and place the clam back on the pan with the left valve face up. Slice the clam in half using a scalpel and cut through the anterior adductor muscle.

5. Repeat Step 4 but this time cut through the posterior adductor muscle. Fold the left valve to the rear so the clam lays face down in the tray.

6. Identify the inner dorsal edges of both valves, muscle scars, mantle, mantle cavity and siphons. Cut away half of the mantle using scissors so that you can locate the gills and respiratory structures.

7. Use scissors to cut and remove the ventral portion of the foot. Peel it away and look for the reproductive, respiratory and digestive organs.

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