What's in a Shape- Variations in tridacnid shell formation
Description
BY DANIEL KNOP
Intro:
Occasionally, tridacnid clams exhibit odd shell shapes. These may be a due to a deformity that occurred in their natural habitat or on a clam farm, they may be the result of inbreeding among farm-raised individuals, or the clam’s growth may have been stunted or altered because it was forced to grow under unnatural conditions. Most of these unusual shapes should not be considered harmful or pathologic in any way — they are just an indication that the clam was able to adapt to a different or unsuitable environment.
