【Reading】みるくい

【English Name】Mirugai clam

Tresus keenae (mirukui, "sea-pine eater"), a large bivalve classified in the genus Tresus of the family Mactridae, reaches a shell length of about 15 cm. The thick siphon protruding from its rear end is an eye-catching feature, and its conspicuous morphological characteristic is that it develops so much it cannot be fully contained within the shell.

The outside of the siphon is wrapped in a black skin, on which the seaweed miru (sea-pine) may settle. The name is said to derive from the way the contracted siphon evokes the image of eating miru. Note that the seaweed that settles on it is not limited to miru alone.

It inhabits inland bay areas across Japan, such as the Seto Inland Sea, Mikawa Bay, and Tokyo Bay, settling by digging vertical burrows into the sandy-muddy bottoms of shallows. A survey report from Yamaguchi Prefecture estimates its lifespan at 10 to 15 years or more.

For sushi toppings, the enlarged siphon is used, served as sashimi, nigiri, grilled, and more. Because domestic landings have declined, it is now positioned as a luxury ingredient. Most products marketed as "mirugai" are substitute species such as Panopea japonica (shiro-miru) or the geoduck (America-namigai), and this species is called "hon-miru" (true miru) to distinguish it.