Tridacna gigas

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By Kari Tervo and Rebecca Ann Csomos

 Geographic Range
 Habitat
 Physical Description
 Reproduction

 Behavior
 Food Habits
 Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
 Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

 Conservation Status
 Other Comments
 Contributors
 References
Geographic Range
Giant clams are found throughout the Tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic region, from the
south China seas in the north to the northern coasts of Australia and from the Nicobar
Islands in the west to Fiji in the east.

 Biogeographic Regions
 indian ocean

 native

 pacific ocean

 native
Habitat
Giant clams occupy coral reef habitats, typically within 20 meters of the surface. They
are most common found in shallow lagoons and reef flats, and are typically embedded
in sandy substrates or those composed of coral rubble.

 Aquatic Biomes
 reef
 coastal
Physical Description
This is the largest living bivalve mollusk. The shell may reach up to 1.5 meters in
length. They are characterized by having 4 to 5 large, inward facing triangular projec-
tions of the shell aperture, thick, heavy shells without scutes (juveniles may have some
scutes), and an inhalent siphon with no tentacles. The mantle is usually golden brown,
yellow, or green, with many irridescent blue, purple, or green spots, especially around
the mantle edges. Larger individuals may have so many of these spots that the mantle
appears solid blue or purple. Giant clams also have many pale or clear spots on the
mantle, referred to as 'windows'. Giant clams cannot completely close their shell once
fully grown.

 Other Physical Features

 ectothermic
 bilateral symmetry
 Range mass
0 to 0 kg
0.00 to 0.00 lb
 Average mass
200 kg
440.53 lb
Reproduction
Giant clams reproduce sexually via broadcast spawning. They expel sperm and eggs
into the sea. Fertilization takes place in open water and is followed by a planktonic lar-
val stage. The larvae (veligers) must swim and feed in the water column until they are
sufficiently developed to settle on a suitable substrate, usually sand or coral rubble, and
begin their adult life as a sessile clam.

Behavior
Adult tridacnids, including Tridacna gigas, are permanently sessile. If disturbed, the
brightly colored mantle tissue (containing zooxanthellae) is retracted and the shell
valves are closed.

Food Habits
Like the majority of other bivalve mollusks, Tridacna gigas can filter particulate food,
including microscopic marine plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton), from
seawater using its ctenidia ("gills"). However, it obtains the bulk of its nutrition from
photosymbionts living within its tissues. These are unicellular algae (often called zoox-
anthellae) that are farmed by the mollusk host in much the same way that corals do. In
some Tridacna gigas, the zooxanthellae have been shown to provide 90% of the carbon
chains metabolized. This is an obligate association for the clam and it will die in the ab-
sence of the zooxanthellae, or if kept in the dark. The presence of 'windows' in the
mantle may function to allow more light into mantle tissues to fuel zooxanthellae pho-
tosynthesis.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Tridacnids are integral and colorful members of the Indo-Pacific coral reef ecosystems.
All eight species of giant clams are currently being cultured. Tridacnid aquaculture ven-
tures have diverse aims that include conservation and restocking programs. Farmed
giant clams are also sold for food (the adductor muscle is considered a delicacy) and for
the aquarium trade.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Despite their classic movie depictions as "killer clams," there are no authentic cases of
people being trapped and drowned by giant clams. Tridacnids are actually quite lethar-
gic and slow about closing. Tridacnid-associated injuries are quite common however.
They typically involve hernias, back injuries, and smashed toes induced when people lift
adult clams out of the water unaware of their formidable weight in air.

Conservation Status
Giant clams are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN because of extensive collecting for
food, aquaculture, and the aquarium trade. Numbers in the wild have been greatly re-
duced.

 IUCN Red List

Vulnerable
More information
 IUCN Red List
Vulnerable
More information
 US Federal List
No special status
 CITES
No special status
Other Comments
Giant clams (Cardiidae: Tridacninae) are among the most familiar marine invertebrates.
Less well known is the remarkable fact that they are highly derived cardiids (cockles)
whose adult morphology has been profoundly restructured by their long evolutionary
association with photosymbionts. They have been severly over-harvested throughout
much of their collective range and illegal fishing (poaching) remains a serious problem.

Contributors
Kari Tervo (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Rebecca Ann Csomos (author),
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Cynthia Sims Parr (editor), University of Michigan-
Ann Arbor.
Glossary
Pacific Ocean
body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south
latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's
largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.

bilateral symmetry
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane
into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal
and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of
the Bilateria.

coastal
the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.

ectothermic
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and
behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature

native range
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is
endemic.
 reef
structure produced by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral polyps
(Class Anthozoa). Coral reefs are found in warm, shallow oceans with low
nutrient availability. They form the basis for rich communities of other
invertebrates, plants, fish, and protists. The polyps live only on the reef
surface. Because they depend on symbiotic photosynthetic algae,
zooxanthellae, they cannot live where light does not penetrate.

References
Accessed (Date Unknown) at http://www.exotictropicals.com/
encyclo/reef/clams/tridacna.htm.

Carlos, A., B. Baillie, T. Maruyama. 2000. Diversity of dinoflagellate

symbionts (zooxanthellae) in a host individual.. Marine Ecology Press Se-
ries, 195: 93-100.

Schneider, J., D. O Foighil. 1999. Phylogeny of giant clams (Cardiidae:

Tridacninae) based on partial mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene se-
quences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 13: 59-66.

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 KingdomAnimaliaanimals

Animalia: information (1) Animalia: pictures (20673) Animalia:

specimens (7109) Animalia: sounds (722) Animalia: maps (42)

 ClassBivalvia

Bivalvia: information (1) Bivalvia: pictures (53) Bivalvia:

specimens (58) Bivalvia: maps (42)

 OrderVeneroida

Veneroida: pictures (33) Veneroida: specimens (4)

 FamilyCardiidae

Cardiidae: pictures (12)

 GenusTridacna

Tridacna: pictures (8)

 SpeciesTridacna gigas

Tridacna gigas: information (1) Tridacna gigas: pictures (1)

To cite this page: Tervo, K. and R. Csomos 2001. "Tridacna gigas" (On-line), Animal
Diversity Web. Accessed October 24, 2019 at
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tridacna_gigas/

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