Juergen Freund / Sea squirts / ascidians / tunicates on a clam, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Anthea Melsen smiles shyly as she comes out of the water after looking at her grandfather's coral and clam gardens, Onma Lodge, Kolombangara, Western Province, Solomon Islands, July 2010

Doug Perrine / Giant clam {Tridacna sp} Palau, Micronesia

Michael Pitts / Giant clam mantle {Tridacna gigas} and siphon, Palau, Micronesia

Constantinos Petrinos / Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} biggest bivalve species in world, Sulawesi Indonesia. Hermaphrodite producing both eggs and sperm

Michele Westmorland / Giant clam detail (Tridacna sp), Palau, Micronesia.

Michele Westmorland / Giant clam detail (Tridacna sp), Palau, Micronesia.

Michele Westmorland / Giant clam detail (Tridacna sp), Palau, Micronesia.

Georgette Douwma / Fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa) on coral reef. Maldives, Indian Ocean

Juergen Freund / Coconut farmers' house on stilts in sea with a mound of discarded giant clam shells. Moromaho Island, Wakatobi, Sulawesi, Indonesia, November 2009.

Juergen Freund / Coconut farmer's house on stilts in sea with a mound of discarded giant clam shells. Moromaho Island, Wakatobi, Sulawesi, Indonesia, November 2009.

Juergen Freund / Divers 'encouraging' Giant clams (Tridacna sp) to spawn by injecting serotonin into the clams. Sperm and eggs are collected and fertilised and larvae are cultured for clam farming. Sempoma, Sabah, Bor...

Juergen Freund / Regon Warren, WorldFish Center's principal technical aid checking on brood stock of Giant clams, Solomon Islands, July 2010.

Juergen Freund / Erik Koti cleans his farmed Giant clams (Tridacna maxima) and (Tridacna derasa) Solomon Islands, July 2010.

Juergen Freund / Close up of siphon of a Giant clam (Tridacna sp) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Close up of siphon of a Giant clam (Tridacna sp) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Close up of mantle of a Giant clam (Tridacna sp) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Erik Koti dives underwater to clean his farmed Giant clams (Tridacna maxima and Tridacna derasa) Onma Lodge, Kolombangara, Western Province, Solomon Islands, July 2010. Adult clams, often collected fr...

Juergen Freund / Giant clam (Tridacna gigas) on coral reef, Moluccas Islands, Indo-pacific.

Juergen Freund / Black coral in the reef with clams, Moluccas Islands, Indo-pacific.

Tim Laman / Opening in mantle of a giant clam (Tridacna sp.) Color patterns are from symbiotic algae. Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Tim Laman / Opening in mantle of a giant clam (Tridacna sp.) Color patterns are from symbiotic algae. Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Tim Laman / Close up view of the mantle of a giant clam (Tridacna sp.) These colour patterns are from symbiotic algae. Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Juergen Freund / Detail of mantle of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Giant clam {Tridacna sp} surrounded by blue starfish {Linckia laevigata} Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, April 2008

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Close up of mantle of Giant clam (Tridacna gigas) Colours come from symbiotic zooxanthellae in tissue, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Mantle of Crocus giant clam (Tridacna crocea) colours come from symbiotic zooxanthellae in tissue, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Close up of lips / mouth of a Coral clam (Pedum spondyloideum) Indo-pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Close up of exhalant syphon of Bear paw / Horse's hood / Strawberry clam (Hippopus hippopus) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Mantle of Giant clam (Tridacna gigas) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mantle of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} on seabed, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Syphon of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} on seabed, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Syphon of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} on seabed, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} on seabed, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} on seabed, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Clam {Tridacna sp} encrusted with corals, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Detail of syphon of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Indo-pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) in Porites coral. Andaman Sea, Thailand

Georgette Douwma / Crocus giant clam (Tridacna crocea) Rinca, Indonesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Mantle of Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) Andaman Sea, Thailand

Georgette Douwma / Mantle of Crocus giant clam (Tridacna crocea) Rinca, Indonesia

Steven David Miller / Looking down into the mantle of a Giant clam {Tridacna sp} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Tim Edwards / Giant Clam on coral reef (Tridacna sp) Great Barrier Reef, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Close up of exhalent syphon of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Close up of inhalent syphon of Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Doug Perrine / Diver with Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Doug Perrine / Diver with Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Doug Perrine / Mantle of Coral clam / scallop {Pedum spondyloideum} visible in coral, Flinders sea, Coral sea, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam {Tridacna maxima} Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam (Tridacna gigas) largest species of bivalve in the world. Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Juergen Freund / Mangrove forest and shallow coral reef with Giant clam, split level, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Shallow coral reef with Giant clam {Tridacna sp} and snorkeler, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Mangrove forest and shallow reef with clam, split level, Papua New Guinea

Doug Perrine / Rough file clam / Flame scallop {Lima scabra} Caribbean

Doug Perrine / Giant clam, close up of mantle {Tridacna sp} Micronesia

Juergen Freund / Giant clam exposed at low tide {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Juergen Freund / Coral reef exposed at low tide & giant clam, Low Isles, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crocus giant clam {Tridacna crocea} Banda Is, Moluccas, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Diver and Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Juergen Freund / Diver + Giant clam in coral reef {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Juergen Freund / Close up of Giant clam mantle {Tridacna deresa} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam mantle {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Doug Perrine / Commensal goby {Luposicya lupus} on mantle of Giant clam, Sipadan Island, Borneo, Malaysia (Non-ex).

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam close up of exhalent siphon {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam showing siphon {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam close-up of inhalent siphon {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Juergen Freund / Exhalation hole of Giant clam {Tridacna sp} Indo Pacific

Juergen Freund / Exhalation hole of Giant clam {Tridacna sp} Indo-Pacific

Roberto Rinaldi / Close-up up of lips of giant clam (Tridacna gigas), Palau, Micronesia.

Roberto Rinaldi / Giant clam (Tridacna gigas) on the Tubbataha Reef, Philippines

Roberto Rinaldi / Close-up of lips of Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas), Palau, Micronesia.

Roberto Rinaldi / Carp island resort sign with tridacna shells underneath, Carp island, Palau.

Juergen Freund / Giant clams {Tridacna gigas} in spawning tank in mari-culture plant, Palau, Micronesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Giant clam {Tridacna gigas} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Juergen Freund / Coral clam {Pedum spondyloidum} Philippines