I had seen them in documentaries and at museums, and we had one that we used to teach students about mollusk diversity at the lab, but nothing prepares you to see one in the ocean.
Giant clams are some of the ocean’s most impressive creatures. These reef dwellers with vibrant colors can grow to more than four feet long and weigh over 700 pounds. Spotting one in the reef leaves everyone speechless, especially if you don’t expect them while doing fieldwork.
However, few know that their massive size isn’t the result of a high-protein diet or an aggressive feeding strategy. Instead, they’ve mastered an unusual trick: partnering with tiny algae to generate energy.
A new study published in Communications Biology reveals just how deeply this relationship has shaped everything in these animal’s anatomy, down to their DNA.
For years, researchers have known that giant clams survive in nutrient-poor tropical waters thanks to their symbiotic relationship with algae. This means that the clams provide a safe home for the algae inside specialized tube-like structures in their tissues. In return, the algae, through photosynthesis, produce sugars that feed the clam. These sugars contribute to the clam’s massive growth and size.
But while many marine creatures rely on symbiosis, the way this process has influenced the evolution of giant clams has remained a mystery… until now.
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