DEAR SUN SPOTS: I was talking with some people the other day about the clams that you find in freshwater. One person was saying they are safe to eat, while I and others say they are not. Is there any way you can clear this up? — Roger, [email protected]

ANSWER: On Sun Spots’ pond there is a cute little otter that makes quick work of freshwater shellfish, leaving the shells, which Mr. Sun Spots says are mussels, not clams, on the shore. Wikipedia.com relates the two, saying: “The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.”

As for edibility, Wikipedia offers this: “Freshwater mussels nowadays are generally considered to be unpalatable, though the native peoples in North America ate them extensively. During the second World War in the United States, mussels were commonly served in diners. This was due to the unavailability of red meat related to wartime rationing.”

Also online, Sun Spots found a number of comments about eating freshwater shellfish (mussels, clams and others), including the following from a hunting and fishing site (http://tinyurl.com/5wc5dbr).

“One word: Chewy.”

“A few words: Cook them well. There are a lot of fun zoonotic parasites that freshwater snails can carry (liver flukes anyone?). That’s one thing that having to sit through parasitology, etc. … classes teaches you; just cook stuff.”

“Look up your endangered species first before you go chowing down. Some stuff in freshwater like the Pearly Cats paw mussel are endangered and besides the ethical implications of eating one, if the law catches you, you can get stuck with a hefty fine.”

“If they are in polluted water, they concentrate the toxins. This includes chemical pollution and bacterial pollution from sewage. Ocean shellfish like clams and oysters concentrate the red tide algae toxins. So the answer is that some clams can be deadly poisonous depending on what is in the water.”

“Many freshwater clams are edible, but I have never found any that were tasty enough to want to eat them. Clams are filter feeders and concentrate all the muck in the water. This means any pollution and the swampy smelling stuff. Crayfish are tasty little things though if you just cook and eat the tails. I have not tried snails, they don’t get very big here and seem more bother than they are worth. Clams do make very good bait for fish and some of the animals that live near the water.”

Sun Spots also found an essay on Mother Earth News that indicates freshwater shellfish can be safe for people if taken from the right spot. But it also cited an elaborate cooking procedure. So the upshot seems to be that they may be edible if you know what you are doing and harvest from clean water, but they are not necessarily tasty enough to warrant all the work.

Mr. Sun Spots noted that if freshwater shellfish were tasty, they would already be commercially marketed, which doesn’t seem to be the case. Perhaps readers can offer some personal experience on the subject.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Edward Little Class of 1961 will be holding its 50th reunion on Aug. 6 at the Martindale Country Club from 4:30 p.m. to midnight with registration, social hour, entertainment, dinner and lots of time to chat.

The class would appreciate information to help locate the following classmates: Donna Avenzato Maheux, Thelma Caron Robart, Marilyn Mason Odell, Carol Greeley Grupe, Lorraine Pontbriand Coulombe, Shirley Mottram Gervais, Sheila Trepanier White, Avis Luce Leavitt and Florence Hebert Lemay. Please contact Sheila Foss Menke at 926-4169 or Bill Dubois at 212-5325. — Nancy Mahar, Lewiston

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to [email protected].