Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two shells of equal size connected by two adductor muscles and have a powerful burrowing foot. They live in both freshwater and marine environments; in salt water they prefer to burrow down into the mud and the turbidity of the water required varies with species and location; the greatest diversity of these is in North America.
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers. The shells are empty because the animal has died and the soft parts have decomposed or been eaten by another animal.
A cockle is an edible marine bivalve mollusc. Although many small edible bivalves are loosely called cockles, true cockles are species in the family Cardiidae.
The giant clams are the members of the clam genus Tridacna that are the largest living bivalve mollusks. There are actually several species of "giant clams" in the genus Tridacna, which are often misidentified for Tridacna gigas, the most commonly intended species referred to as "the giant clam".
Tridacna is a genus of large saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Tridacninae, the giant clams. They have heavy shells, fluted with 4 to 6 folds. The mantle is brightly coloured. They inhabit shallow waters of coral reefs in warm seas of the Indo-Pacific region. These clams are popular in marine aquaria, and in some areas, such as the Philippines, members of the genus are farmed for the marine aquarium trade. They live in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae). Some species are eaten by humans.
Tridacna squamosa, known commonly as the fluted giant clam and scaly clam, is a species of bivalve in the family Cardiidae.
The maxima clam, also known as the small giant clam, is a species of bivalve mollusc found throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Hippopus hippopus, also known as the Horse Hoof clam and Strawberry clam, is a species of giant clam in the Family Tridacna and the genus Hippopus. Hippopus is a delicacy in many Southeast Asian countries due to its high quality meat.
Tridacna crocea, the boring clam, crocus clam, crocea clam or saffron-coloured clam, is a species of bivalve in the family Cardiidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is occasionally found in the aquarium trade where it is often simply referred to as crocea.
Tridacna derasa, the southern giant clam or smooth giant clam, is a species of extremely large marine clam in the family Cardiidae.
Tridacna rosewateri is a species of marine bivalve in the family Cardiidae.
Tridacninae, common name, the giant clams, is a taxonomic subfamily of very large saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae, the cockles.
Rudolf Sturany was an Austrian zoologist who specialized in the field of malacology, the study of mollusks.
Tridacna noae, also known as Noah’s giant clam or the Teardrop giant clam, is a species of giant clam. Up until recently, T. noae was confused with the small giant clam Tridacna maxima, but is now known to be its own independent species. It has a broad distribution in the Indo-Pacific.
Leiocithara potti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.
Pseudodaphnella epicharis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae. It was first identified by Sturany in 1903 as Mangilia epicaris.
Pseudodaphnella dichroma is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.
Taranidaphne beblammena is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.
