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Almeja gigante (Tridacna maxima), Zanzíbar, Tanzania, 2024-05-30, DD 68
2024-05-30
- Classification
- Photograph
- Museum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Rights
- CC BY-SA 4.0, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Kids profiles and older: it shows nature, places, still life or a children's book. How works are placed
About this work
Maxima clam (Tridacna maxima), Zanzibar, Tanzania. This species is found in the oceans surrounding East Africa, India, China, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Red Sea, and the islands of the Pacific. As other bivalves have two valves on the mantle. These siphon water through the body to extract oxygen from the water using the gills and to feed on algae. They are much sought after in the aquarium trade, as their often striking coloration mimics that of the true giant clam; however, the maximas maintain a manageable size (only one third their size), with the shells of large specimens typically not exceeding 20 centimetres (7.9 in).