How do giant clams protect themselves?

How do giant clams protect themselves?

“Divers who accidentally step into the open lips of the monsters are not infrequently held with such force that they cannot release themselves and are drowned. The shells close with such force that they serve as gigantic traps.” In fact, giant clams do close in response to nearby movement to protect themselves.

Are giant clams protected?

To date, nine giant clam species are protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, giant clams continue to delcine in their marine habitat.

How do giant clams survive?

Like corals, the giant clam lives in partnership with tiny plantlike algae (called zooxanthellae) that reside inside the clams’ tissues. And as with corals, the arrangement helps both creatures. The algae gain protection from grazing animals; the clam grows large with the benefit of food produced by the algae.

How do clams give birth?

Male clams produce sperm and release it into the water, while females produce eggs that are retained internally. The sperm get drawn into the female bivalve through her siphons, and fertilization occurs.

Can a giant clam eat a human?

No account of a human death by giant clam has ever been substantiated, and scientists say its adductor muscles, used to close the shell, move far too slowly to take a swimmer by surprise. Even the largest specimen would simply retreat into its shell rather than attempt to sample human prey.

Can giant clams bite?

Today the giant clam is considered neither aggressive nor particularly dangerous. While it is certainly capable of gripping a person, the shell’s closing action is defensive, not aggressive, and the shell valves close too slowly to pose a serious threat.

What is the largest clam ever recorded?

Giant Clam facts

• The largest giant clam ever discovered measured 137 centimetres and weighed around 250kg!
• In centuries before, giant clams were nicknamed ‘man-eating’ clams, due to the belief that they ate divers whole!
• By day, giant clams open their shells so that the algae inside them get a chance to photosynthesise.

How long do clams live for?

Soft shell clams can live for 10-12 years. Some may have lived for as long as 28 years. A green crab can eat as many as 15 clams a day. A bushel of soft shelled clams weighs about 60 pounds.

Can giant clams swim?

Giant clams live in partnership with tiny plant-like algae. No account of a human death by giant clam has ever been substantiated and scientists point out that the clam’s adductor muscles, the muscles used to close the shell, move far too slowly to take a swimmer by surprise.

Can you touch a clam?

A good, healthy clam will spring closed quickly if you touch it or it feels like it is being threatened. This is a naturally clammy defense mechanism. Every 2-3 weeks, pull your clams out and make sure that they close up quickly.

Why are giant clams good for commercial farming?

Giant clams grow quickly and require no supplemental feeding. This makes them ideal for both commercial cultivation and subsistence farming. Commercial production may help to save the giant clams, which in some areas have been harvested to near extinction.

What happens to giant clams when they release an egg?

When an egg is release, this triggers nearby giant clams to swell their mantles and contract their adductor muscles. This causes the clams to fill with water containing broadcasted sperm and eggs.

How big can a giant clam get to be?

Giant clam is a huge mollusk. It can reach 4 feet in length and weigh up to 500 pounds. Biggest recorded specimen had 6 feet in length. Giant clams are beautifully colored. Their mantle is usually a mixture of yellow, red, green, blue, pink and brown color.

Are there giant clams that can’t close their shells?

Young T. gigas are difficult to distinguish from other species of Tridacninae. Adult T. gigas are the only giant clams unable to close their shells completely. Even when closed, part of the mantle is visible, unlike the very similar T. derasa. However, this can only be recognized with increasing age and growth.