ADW: clam_Tridacna.jpg

Jeffords, Jeffrey

clam_Tridacna

Identification

Location

Tubba-taha reef, Sulu Sea, Philippines.

Caption

This particular variety of clam (Tridacna species), with its brilliant blue mantle, is a common sight on shallow Philippine reefs. It measures about six inches from end to end. In this photo the fleshy mantle is entirely exposed, but patience is required to see the clam in this state-- the clam will abruptly close its shell with only a minor change in light, such as a shadow. Specialized cells called ocelli along the outer edge of the mantle are responsible for light reception.

Subject
Live Animal

Type
Photo

Life Stages And Gender
Adult/Sexually Mature

Contributors

Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer; copyright holder; identification)

Conditions of Use

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

To cite this page: Jeffords, J.2004. "clam_Tridacna.jpg" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 20, 2025 at https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/jeffrey_jeffords/misc.inverts/clam_Tridacna/

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services.

The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support.