Rhode Island fishermen harvest a variety of fresh seafood from state waters and federal waters of the Atlantic.
Saltwater Fish
Rhode Island fishermen harvest summer flounder (fluke), winter flounder, yellowtail flounder, cod, haddock, pollock, hake, whiting, scup, black sea bass, weakfish, tuna, swordfish, and other species.
Shellfish
The quahog clam is the official shellfish of Rhode Island. Also known as the hard clam or chowder clam, the quahog is the most popular clam of the Atlantic Coast.
Seafood markets sell quahogs by size. The smallest clams are called littlenecks. Topnecks and cherrystone clams are larger sizes. The largest clams are called quahogs or chowder clams.
Littlenecks and topnecks are usually served steamed. Cherrystone clams are served raw on a half-shell, with cocktail sauce or lemon slices, or used for clams casino.
The largest quahogs are diced or minced for use in clam chowder, clam fritters and other meals.
Other Seafood
Rhode Island is a major producer of longfin squid, which is preferred for calamari.
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