ivory shell; cockle
Refers to bivalve mollusks of the family Veneridae, commonly known as Venus clams or hard clams. In Japanese contexts, it often specifically denotes the species Meretrix lusoria (Japanese hard clam).
We gathered a lot of ivory shells during clam digging.
灰貝は味噌汁の具にすると美味しい。
Ivory shells are delicious when used in miso soup.
Standard kanji spelling for this shellfish name.
Alternate kanji spelling; less common than 灰貝.
The kanji 灰 (hai, 'ash') and 貝 (kai, 'shellfish') likely refer to the ashy color of the shell. The alternate spelling 伏貝 uses 伏 (fusu, 'to lie face down'), possibly describing the clam's habit of lying buried in sand. The exact origin is uncertain.