He Was Clamming With His Grandpa. Then: 'Holy Moly'

[left-of-center2012]

An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy clamming with his grandfather found a giant quahog that's thought to be one of the largest ever harvested in state waters. Cooper Monaco, of Wakefield, found the massive mollusk Monday in the Weekapaug section of Westerly and donated it to the University of Rhode Island's Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett, the university said in a statement Thursday.

The clam is 5.75 inches across and weighs nearly 2 1/2 pounds, per the AP. The state Department of Environmental Management doesn't keep quahog records, but a typical quahog grows to about 4 inches across, the university said.

"I was down on my hands and knees in the water looking for clams, and I touched this huge rock thing," Cooper said in the statement. "I always pull out rocks and throw them to the side and look under them. And then I felt the edge of it and I thought, 'Holy moly, this is a clam.' So I pulled it out. It was amazing."

He knew it was unusually large, so told his mother not to cook it. Ed Baker, the manager of the URI Marine Science Research Facility, plans to put the quahog on display.

https://www.newser.com/story/294362/boy-digs-up-mighty-big-mollusk-while-clamming-with-grandpa.html

[Boxerfan]

1. How old is that clam?

IIRC they get very old. Likely a centurion.

[brewens]

2. These "Gapers" or I believe Empire clams I've dug for in Oregon get bigger. A buddy and I

went digging for them by Coos Bay a few years back. The limit was 12 and it needs to be! Those things are about three feet down. We worked our asses off for those! When we left, I looked back and it looked like we had a backhoe down there. They were good, but probably not worth it.

[left-of-center2012]

4. Comparing Oregon clams to R.I. clams?

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. A tough old bird.

But a good breeder, Put it back.