Catatan beberapa aspek kehidupan kimah, suku Tridacnidae (Molusca, Pelecypoda)

NOTES ON SOME ASPECTS OF LIVING HABITS OF TRIDACNID CLAMS, FAMILY TRIDACNIDAE (MOLLUSCA, PELECYPODA). So far seven species of tridacnid clams have been found in the world Those species belong to the family Tridacnidae which consist of two genera, Tridacna and Hippopus. The genera Tridacna has 5 species and Hippopus has 2 species. According to their habits, the tridacnid clams divided into two groups. The first group consist of species which live by burrowing coral stones, i.c, Tridacna crocea and Tridacna maxima. The second group live among the living corals, i.c. Tridacna gigas, Tridacna deresa, Tridacna squamosa, Hippopus hippopus and Hippopus porcellanus. The clams are phytoplankton feeder as well as "autotrophic" by getting food from their symbion Zooxanthellae, i.c, single cell algae living in their mantle. It's assumed that the age of tridacnid clams varies from 8100 years and their growth rate varies, the young individuals are mostly male and become hermaphrodites as they are adults.