The geoduck (pronounced “gooey duck”) is the largest burrowing clam in the world and one of the longest-lived animals, sometimes living more than 100 years. Its name reportedly comes from the Nisqually Indian term “gwe-duk,” which means “dig deep.” The Chinese call it “elephant trunk clam,” descriptive of the enormous siphon extending from the large, oval shell. The meaty siphon is the edible part of the bivalve, which can grow to a shell width of 7 inches and weighs an average of 2 1/4 pounds. The clam is prized in Hong Kong, China and Japan, where it is considered a rare taste treat, eaten cooked in a Chinese hot pot or raw, sashimi style. Geoducks are found in harvestable quantities only in Washington’s Puget Sound and inland waters of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. Washington accounts for about half the world supply. In the wild, geoducks are harvested individually by divers who use water jets to loosen the sand around the clams. A significant amount also is farmed in tidal flats around Puget Sound, where the clams start life in net-covered PVC tubes that are removed after the first year.