Abstract: An apparatus for dredging shellfish includes a digging jet connected to a source of pressurized water for liquifying sediment and directing the sediment and any shellfish in the sediment toward a digging blade and separating device, the separating device being arranged to separate out sediments, shellfish, and debris having a dimension smaller than a minimum dimension, and a suction chamber arranged to collect shellfish that has passed the separating device for conveyance to the surface. Between the separating device and suction chamber is a second separating device in the form of a plate having a plurality of openings for further separating shellfish from debris and clumps of sediment having a dimension larger than a maximum dimension of the shellfish to be collected.