Species
Veneroida
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Transparent patches of mantle focus light: giant clam
The mantle of a giant clam focuses sunlight for the algae it hosts using transparent patches.
"The giant clam also keeps algae within its body. They are not imprisoned within its cells but held in a space directly beneath the outer skin of its mantle which is exposed to light whenever the two outer halves of the clam shell gape open. In some the mantle is purple, in others a vivid green, but always there are lines of bright spots along it. These are specially transparent patches that act like lenses, focusing light on the colonies of algae directly beneath. If the algae become too abundant, the clam thins them out by changing the constitutents of its internal fluids and digesting some of them." (Attenborough 1995:203)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/e67ebc59e5c58a97953cc42797c4419d |
Digestive solution removes excess algae: giant clam
Giant clams can digest some of the algae they host, if they become too abundant, by manipulating the makeup of their internal fluid.
"The giant clam also keeps algae within its body. They are not imprisoned within its cells but held in a space directly beneath the outer skin of its mantle which is exposed to light whenever the two outer halves of the clam shell gape open. In some the mantle is purple, in others a vivid green, but always there are lines of bright spots along it. These are specially transparent patches that act like lenses, focusing light on the colonies of algae directly beneath. If the algae become too abundant, the clam thins them out by changing the constitutents of its internal fluids and digesting some of them." (Attenborough 1995:203)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/89f6ad5e7d72f55e6883480a777fa483 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:8312
Specimens with Sequences:6913
Specimens with Barcodes:6108
Species:698
Species With Barcodes:551
Public Records:5906
Public Species:480
Public BINs:512