Species introCountry intro
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
This picture was taken under water in approximately 2002....pre digital so the colours/quality are a bit off...But this is a giant clam. We were swimming near Muri Beach Lagoon. The waters here are warmer than the heated swimming pools and the sea life abounds! We hope to return with a go-pro or similar camera to take some really great underwater photos!
The giant clam, known as "pā’ua" in Cook Islands Māori, is a clam that is the largest living bivalve mollusk.
"Tridacna gigas" is one of the most endangered clam species. Antonio Pigafetta documented these in his journal as early as 1521. One of a number of large clam species native to the shallow coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, they can weigh more than 200 kilograms, measure as much as 120 cm across, and have an average lifespan in the wild of over 100 years... more
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