PHOTOS: ‘Aber-Clam Lincoln’ Mollusk Believed to Be 214 Years Old Discovered in Florida

A man recently dug up a quahog clam believed to be 214 years old at Alligator Point, Florida, and gave it a clever name.

Caretakers with the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab have since released the clam into the Gulf of Mexico, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Sunday.

When Americorps member Blaine Parker found it, he was simply collecting shellfish to make chowder for a delicious meal, but took the time to consider his find.

“We were just going to eat it, but we thought about it a while and figured it was probably pretty special. So, we didn’t want to kill it,” he recalled.

He transported it to the lab’s aquarium, where he works as a specimen collector. The lab shared more details about the clam in a social media post on February 20, noting they range from Newfoundland to North Carolina:

The clam was dubbed “Aber-clam Lincoln,” and the lab said it measures six inches and weighs 2.6 pounds:

The Ocean Quahog can live to be over 200 yrs., reproducing by the age of 6 and commercially eaten at 20yrs. Age can be calculated by the number of layers on the shell, with each layer representing a year; with this, Blaine counted 214 layers on Aber-clam Lincoln’s shell, meaning this clam was born in 1809, the same year as Abraham Lincoln, hence its name!

“Come celebrate President’s Day with GSML and say hello to our 16th president, Aber-clam Lincoln!” the post continued.

Ocean quahogs are usually processed for people to enjoy in soups, chowders, and stews, but a small number can also be found in the bait market, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website.

Per the Democrat, one way the clams move is by expanding and contracting their muscle, while also being tossed around by the surf.

“With Lincoln being so old it is possible, like many Floridians, circumstances moved him south for him to become one of the oldest known Florida transplants,” the article said, noting this particular clam could be the fourth oldest currently recorded.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became the nation’s 16th President, and was reelected in 1864, according to the White House website.