Details
Tridacna gigas
The giant clam is a huge bivalve of Indian and Pacific coral reefs. It is a solitary filter-feeder anchored in shallow, sunlit reef habitats.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives on tropical shallow reefs, often fixed on reef flats or sandy patches with strong light. Clear water and stable substrate are important.
Shell length is about 80-120 cm, and weight about 100-200 kg. The thick shell encloses a wavy mantle that may show vivid colors.
It is solitary and treated here as diurnal. Adults move little, opening the shell to use water flow and sunlight.
It is a filter-feeder, straining particles from the water. Symbiotic algae in its tissues also provide food from photosynthesis.
Adults spawn eggs and sperm into the water. Larvae drift before settling and growing into heavy-shelled juveniles.
Its conservation status is VU. Harvest and changes to reef habitat are major concerns, and protection or culture programs exist in some areas.
