Tridacna maxima
giant clam
![Tridacna sp. [cf noae]](https://images.reeflifesurvey.com/1/species_9e_6695d1ce1e07f.w400.h266.jpg)
Distribution
Description
Juveniles usually fully embedded in substrata, becoming partially embedded as adults. Shell oblong rhomboidal to elongate oval with 4-6 primary radial folds and close-set scutes. Mantle typically a mottled mix of blue, green, and brown. Hyaline organs form a continuous and tightly-spaced line along the mantle edge, and the incurrent siphon bears indistinct guard tentacles.
Information
Max Size: 35 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 21.9-31.1°C
Depth: N/A
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Common (39.7% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (4 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Jo Schmid