Over the past seven years, the culture and market potential of the sunray venus clam has been examined. The existence of a latent market and potential growth rate of this native bivalve made it a logical choice to diversify the Florida hard clam industry. To increase awareness of this new culture species, sunray venus clams have been featured at culinary demonstrations, consumer acceptance trials, and seafood shows. In the August 2014 issue of the Journal of Shellfish Research (JSR), sunray venus clams were displayed on the front and inside back covers. The journal is the foremost international publication promoting all aspects of shellfish research. This publicity is invaluable in promoting Florida’s newest shellfish crop.
