US Government Proposes Ban on Six Species of Giant Clams

In a 173-page document, the United States government has announced a proposal to list all species of giant clams under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, sometimes referred to as NOAA Fisheries), an agency within…

Giant Clams in the Aquarium, a New Book by James Fatheree

There’s a lot going on in the realm of our favorite reef bivalves, from the newly arrived Red Sea cultured clams, to the revision of Indian Ocean species, and now we even have a new book. Giant Clams in the…

Giant Clams Proposed to be listed under Endangered Species Act

Giant clams are some of the most magical creatures we keep in our reef tanks. Although the vast majority of Tridacna and Hippopus clams in the aquarium hobby come from giant clam farms, this group of reef animals is under…

Hippopus porcellanus, Face to Face with the Rarest Species of Giant Clam

Hippopus porcellanus, the China Clam, is arguably the rarest species of giant clam living today. It has a very restricted range second only to the Devil Clam, but it is extremely rare where the species has been found. Unfortunately, the…

Giant clams are even more specialized to harvest light than we thought

We all know that giant clams of the Tridacna and Hippopus genera are fast-growing molluscs which are found in shallow water reef waters where they can bask in the sunlight, harvesting energy from their symbiotic zooxanthellae. Unlike corals which have Symbiodinium zooxanthellae which…