A giant clam believed to be as old as Abraham Lincoln was found along the coast of Florida south of Tallahassee.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said the shell is thick, grey to white in color, and has outer concentric growth rings. By counting the growth rings, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab was able to determine that the northern quahog hard clam was born in 1809 – the same year as Abraham Lincoln.
The clam was discovered by Blaine Parker and his family, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab said.
Given its year of birth, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab named the clam Aber-clam Lincoln.
The clam is also much larger than other northern quahog hard clams. Normally these clams have a length of 2.8 to 4.3 inches. Aber-clam Lincoln is over 6 inches long and weighs 2.6 pounds.
Generally, these clams have slow growth rates and live 12 to 20 years on average, according to NOAA.