The bear paw clam ( Hippopus hippopus), horse’s hoof clam, strawberry clam, or Hippopus clams is a species of large saltwater clam, a tropical marine bivalve mollusk in the family Tridacnidae. The bear paw clam may not have a super flashy mantle, but among the giant clams, it wins for the most beautiful shell. Different between the Ocean and the Sea.Nevertheless, the production of sperm and eggs are separate in order to prevent self-fertilization, even though self-fertilization can occur.

But, about a year later they become hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs. When Tridacna clams first attain sexual maturity, they are male. Predators are small parasitic pyramidellid snails that drill into their tissue and feed on their bodily fluids. In protected areas, such as on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, they exist in densities of up to 30 clams to a hectare. Most clams fulfill their nutrition by filter feeding and absorbing dissolved organic compounds from the water. The small giant clam often live alone, but they can be found in groups as well. The clams breathe through gills and feed through a mouth. These clams have muscles for opening and closing its shell and a foot for connecting to reef substrate. They vary in color combinations of orange, yellow, black, blue, and white, some can even have brilliant blue or green accents. The southern giant clams inhabit in waters around Australia, Cocos Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vietnam. These clams usually have a mantle with a striped pattern of wavy lines or a spotted pattern. Southern giant clam ( Tridacna d erasa), smooth giant clam, or Derasa clam, is a one of the largest of the giant clams, that can reach up to 60 cm in length. However in the deeper waters, over 8 m, they are found solitary. They are most commonly living together in the much shallower waters in great congregations. The small giant clams inhabit on the tops or slopes of the reef in shallow and clear waters. At the third larval stage, a foot grows, letting the larva to swim and rest on the substrate. This larva then develops into another, more developed, larva which is able to do its own filter-feeding. Starting life as a tiny fertilized egg, the small giant clam hatches within 12 hours. The small giant clam attaches itself to rocks or dead coral and siphons water through its body, filtering it for phytoplankton, as well as extracting oxygen with its gills. The shells of large specimens are typically not exceeding 20 cm in length. The clams produce the color white in their mantle by clustering red, blue and green cells. These function to protect the clam from the effects of intense sunlight or bundle light to enhance the algae’s photosynthesis. The colors are the result of crystalline pigment cells. The small giant clam ( Tridacna maxima), maxima clam, great clam, or elongate giant clam is a species of bivalve mollusk found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The colors of small giant clam are so attractive. Giant fluted clam is sometimes kept in an aquarium, where it needs a moderate amount of care. Although they have an ability to shut completely, the anemones, triggerfish, and puffers may be predators in a domestic environment. They do not harm other organisms, in the wild or otherwise. The mantle is decorated with many iridescent blue or green spots, especially around the edges. The mantle is usually golden brown, yellow or green. A juvenile giant clams may have some sparse scutes, but once they reach adulthood, they lost their scutes. They can not even completely close their shells when it gets large. Giant clams have thick and smooth shells with 4 to 5 pronounced ribs. The truth is, they are so heavy that they have to stay in one place. They prefer reef flats, shallow lagoons and even intertidal spots where they can reveal to the air at low tide.Ī Giant Clam is totally non-aggressive as we thought when we watched it on the TV. They can also live from the southern islands of Japan to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. These clams usually found exist on the bottoms, coral rubble, amongst live corals and on limestone bottoms. Giant Clams live in the eastern Indian Ocean and the west Pacific Ocean, from Thailand and western Australia and eastward to Micronesia.

Clam to horse clam to geo duck