Clams.
The clam rake is a tool specifically designed to dig up and collect clams that are buried in the sand or mud of the ocean floor in tidal natural areas or clam farms. Clam rakes come in many sizes, and the tines can vary in number, spacing, length, and design. A clam rake is usually made of steel and looks like a normal rake, although a clam rake usually has a shorter handle and longer teeth that are wider, more knife-shaped, and sometimes curved. Some types of clam rakes also have a metal basket attached to the back of the rake to hold the clams while they are dug up. Examples of different clam rake designs are: harvester rakes, which have a large open retaining basket; bull rakes, which have a more closed retaining basket; and Chatham Scratchers, which do not have an attached basket.
An important consideration when choosing a rake is whether the top layer of the ocean floor is hard or soft. Longer and wider teeth are preferable when digging in hard sand or mud than in softer materials. The clam rake is used by pulling the teeth through the top layer. When a clam is found, the rake teeth slant under it and it is pulled out and collected in the rake basket or placed in a container such as a bucket.
Clamming can be done on natural tidal flats near the ocean and is best done at low tide. People who collect clams are known as clams, and the activity of digging up the clams is often referred to as clamming. Both recreational sailors and commercial sailors working in fishing or shellfish farming can use clam rakes. Recreational clams often enter the tidal area at low tide, using clam rakes or other tools, or simply with bare hands to dig up the clams. Commercial clams can also fish for clams on foot, but sometimes work from boats in slightly deeper water, often using a net instead of a clam rake.
Farmed clams are often grown in hatcheries and nursery areas until they reach a certain age and size. The clams are then placed on a natural beach and buried at the bottom of the ocean. After a few years, they are harvested, a process usually done with clam rakes or other hand tools like trowels or dredges.