Tridacna squamosa
giant clam
![Tridacna sp. [cf noae]](https://images.reeflifesurvey.com/1/species_9e_6695d1ce1e07f.w400.h266.jpg)
Distribution
Description
Juveniles are byssally attached to substrata, and may become free-living in adulthood. Typically found in sheltered sites (eg. wedged between corals). Shell is oval-oblong to subtrigonal-oblong, with well defined ribs. Valves are often yellow, orange, or pink. Scutes are semicircular and well-spaced. Mantle often mottled, with colour ranging from orange, yellow, blue, green to brown. Hyaline organs widely spaced along mantle edge, and incurrent siphon with prominant, branched guard tentacles.
Information
Max Size: 41 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 22-31.3°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 (31.9% 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 (2 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Jo Schmid