Giant Clams

Like a display of living jewels, the outdoor giant clam display exhibits a variety of clam species with an array of iridescent colors. Found throughout the South Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea, there are eight known species of giant clam, yet only one, Tridacna gigas, is a true giant–reaching lengths of over three feet and weighing over 500 pounds. While smaller, the other species are extremely colorful owing to their symbiotic algae and pigments in their tissue. All the clams in this exhibit were donated by aquaculture operations; none were taken from the wild.