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Learn about the largest of all mollusks, the giant clam, that lives in the warm waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Find out how it consumes algae, filters plankton, and faces threats from overharvesting and the coronavirus pandemic.
Sep 15, 2022 · Learn about the giant clam, the largest living marine bivalve, and its conservation status, threats, and distribution. Find out how NOAA Fisheries is working to protect and restore this culturally important species in the Pacific Islands.
- Bivalvia
- Mollusca
- Cardiida
Giant clams are the largest living marine bivalves and typically inhabit tropical coral reefs in coastal regions throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Giant clams are members of the Subfamily Tridacninae, which consists of two genera: Hippopus and Tridacna. Currently, seven giant clam species are candidate species for listing under the Endangered ...
- Bivalvia
- Mollusca
- Cardiida
May 10, 2023 · Learn about the largest living mollusks, giant clams, and their unique features, such as their colorful shells, soft mantle, and filter feeding behavior. Find out where they live, how they reproduce, and what threats they face in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
- Cardiidae
- Details
- Animalia
- Tridacna gigas
The giant clams provides those nutrients by filter feeding small prey from the water above the reef surface, which it siphons through its body. The beautiful, bright colors characteristic of individual giant clams are actually a result of the symbiotic algae.
Learn about the largest clam species, its appearance, habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and threats. Discover how giant clams use photosynthesis, filter feeding, and asexual reproduction to survive in coral reefs.
