Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
29 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
29 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
29 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
29 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Lyme Regis The Glowing Clams of Great Britain

The Glowing Clams of Great Britain

A midnight snack that lights up the night.

Lyme Regis, England

Added By
Dylan Thuras
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
People collecting fossils in Lyme Regis at the fossil festival.   John Cummings
People collecting fossils in Lyme Regis at the fossil festival.   John Cummings
Lyme Regis   Alison Day
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Where the River Lym flows into the Lyme Regis a Roman villa was discovered with shellfish shells strewn about the floor:  the remnants of a magical midnight snack.

The Pholas dactylus, or common piddok, is a strange little bivalve. The seven-inch creature slowly bores into rock, using ridges on the edge of its shell, and then spends the rest of its eight years of life never leaving its hole except when protruding a double-siphon with which it filters the tides for food particles. There is something else odd about the common piddock. It glows when you eat it.

"...If the flesh is chewed and held in the mouth, the breath becomes luminous and looks like a real flame" reads one account of eating the raw shellfish. Written about by Roman statesman Pliny, the bioluminescent bivalve made for an excellent midnight snack in an age before electricity. Late-night Roman eating raids were all the rage, with men and women covering themselves and each other in the glowing goo and filling up on fresh shellfish. Pliny wrote that the piddock "glitter both in the mouth of persons masticating them and in their hands, and even on the floor and on their clothes when drops fall on them, making it clear beyond all doubt that their juice possesses a property that we should marvel."

Raphaà Dubois, a 19th-century scientist, did indeed marvel at them and used the piddock along with fireflies to help discover Luciferin and Luciferase, the engine and fuel involved in producing bioluminescence. Curiously, the piddock bioluminescence is now being extracted and used to help predict when people are about to become unwell. The common piddock can be found throughout the south and southwest coast of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as in the Iberian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and the Atlantic coast of Morocco.

Though no late-night bioluminescent eating parties seem to currently exist, now seems a perfect time as any to start one.

Related Tags

Animals Water Bioluminescence

Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

Edited By

Mom0ja, Blindcolour, Meg, rbenn250

  • Mom0ja
  • Blindcolour
  • Meg
  • rbenn250

Published

February 5, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Glowing Clams of Great Britain
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis, England, DT7 3JF
United Kingdom
50.720751, -2.938521
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Lyme Regis Museum

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Mary Anning’s Grave

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Mary Anning Statue

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

Lyme Regis Museum

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Mary Anning’s Grave

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Mary Anning Statue

Lyme Regis, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis

England

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

Essential Guide: Bioluminescence

essential guide

By Jeff Wagg

Related Places

  • Namerikawa, Japan

    The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

    Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

  • A blue glow in the waters of Mosquito Bay

    Vieques, Puerto Rico

    Mosquito Bay

    The world's brightest bioluminescent bay.

  • Long exposure image of bioluminescence of Noctiluca scintillans in the yacht port of Zeebrugge, Belgium

    Somalia

    The Milky Seas

    The world's largest bioluminescent area was undiscovered by science until 2005.

  • Šibenik, Croatia

    Fontana s Kornjačama (Fountain with Turtles)

    This fountain has a growing (animal) population, and might also be growing in size.

  • A Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) rises up, displaying its impressive leg span.

    Monterey, California

    Into The Deep/En lo Profundo Exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

    Enormous crabs, bioluminescent jellies, and other amazing creatures from the ocean’s depths—some of which are in an aquarium for the first time ever.

  • Austin, Texas

    Barkin' Springs

    A free, canine-friendly alternative watering hole near the more famous Barton Springs.

  • Barton Springs Pool

    Austin, Texas

    Barton Springs

    Home to an endangered salamander, a full moon celebration, and a large spring-fed outdoor swimming pool.

  • Ouzoud Waterfall

    Ouzoud, Morocco

    Ouzoud Falls

    One of the tallest waterfalls in Africa is also home to a population of monkeys who enjoy the waters and the occasional guest.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.