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The giant clams are the members of the clam genus Tridacna that are the largest living bivalve mollusks.
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| Giant clam | |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Tridacna |
| Species: | T. gigas |
| Binomial name | |
| Tridacna gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
- What is the world's biggest shellfish?
- What's the biggest clam in the world?
- What is the biggest clam in the ocean?
- Are there giant clams?
- Can a giant clam trap you?
- Can a clam hurt you?
- Can a giant clam eat a human?
- How big can oysters get?
- Do giant clams make pearls?
- How old do giant clams get?
- What's inside a giant clam?
- Do all clams have pearls?
- Why do clams have pearls?
- What are big clams called?
What is the world's biggest shellfish?
The giant clam, also called giant tridacne (Tridacna gigas of its scientific name), is a gigantic shellfish, which can measure up to 1.50 meters in length and exceed 200 kg. It is the largest bivalve mollusc.
What's the biggest clam in the world?
The Tridacna gigas, better known as a giant clam, or taklobo in the Philippines, is the largest living bivalve mollusk. They can grow larger than 4 feet across and weigh more than 400 lbs.
What is the biggest clam in the ocean?
The giant clam (Tridacna gigas) is – you guessed it – humongous! It is the largest of all bivalve mollusks in the world, reaching lengths of more than 4 feet, and they can live for nearly a century.
Are there giant clams?
Giant clams are among the largest of all mollusks. There are several species of giant clam, the biggest of which can grow to be four feet across and weigh over 600 pounds! Regardless of species, giant clams have two thick, bony shells joined with a flexible ligament hinge.
Can a giant clam trap you?
A giant legend
Legends from the South Pacific tell of giant clams able to trap—and even devour—passing divers. ... In truth, giant clams are harmless to people. Their shells move far too slowly to trap any unsuspecting diver. Furthermore, there's never been a recorded incidence of human death by clam!
Can a clam hurt you?
Eating such “bad” clams can produce a spectrum of food poisoning symptoms ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to memory loss to even paralysis and death. Humans have known the hazards of eating shellfish for a very long time.
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.
How big can oysters get?
The world's largest oyster is nearly 14 inches long and resides in Denmark, according to the folks at Guinness World Records. And it's still alive and growing, according to Christine Ditlefsen, the biologist at the Wadden Sea Centre whose world record was recently certified.
Do giant clams make pearls?
The giant pearl supposedly formed inside a giant clam, which in and of itself is unusual, as clams rarely make pearls. Something clearly got out of hand for the poor creature, because this thing got big. ... The Daily Mail says the fisherman originally found it when a ship's anchor got stuck on the giant clam.
How old do giant clams get?
A giant clam can live 100 years or more! The clam's bright colors are the result of the algae living inside its body.
What's inside a giant clam?
What's inside a clam? A retractable foot, a siphon for sucking up water, powerful muscles, and, sometimes, a pearl. ... Like oysters and mussels, clams are bivalves, a kind of mollusk that's encased in a shell made of two valves, or hinging parts. And that shell comes in all different sizes.
Do all clams have pearls?
While any oyster — and clams and mussels — can produce pearls, some species of oysters are more likely to produce pearls, while others may be harvested primarily to serve as food.
Why do clams have pearls?
Mollusks make pearls as a protection against irritants that sneak into their soft tissue. They do so by exuding layer upon layer of shell material. For some animals, this material is nacre, or mother of pearl.
What are big clams called?
Quahog: These big guys are also called chowder clams and weigh in at a mighty 2-3 clams per pound. Which type of clam to buy depends on how you want to prepare them. The clams get tougher and chewier as they get larger, making these sizes ideal for chowders, stuffing, frying, and other cooked preparations.
