Partially bleached giant clam, Tridacna spec, in a coral reef, from the South China Sea, Brunei.

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Tridacna species are record holders, growing up to a size of 120 cm and over 200 kg in weight, these giant clams can live over 100 years. Clams are filter feeders, filtering the surrounding waters for zooplankton. This is a phosphor and nitrogen source for the single cell algae- zooxanthellae, which these clams host in their tissue. In return the clam benefits from the sugar produced through the algae’s photosynthesis.

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Size: 4203px × 2802px
Location: Brunei, Tutong
Photo credit: © Rasmus Loeth Petersen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animalia, bivalvia, bleaching, brown, brunei, cardiidae, check, china, clam, close, colourful, coral, corals, dive, diving, euheterodonta, fauna, feeder, filter, filtration, giant, heterodonta, housereef, invertebrate, marine, mollusc, mollusca, mussel, ocean, pacific, photography, picture, reef, scuba, sea, shell, snail, south, species, tridacna, tridacninae, underwater, veneroida