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Tridacna squamosa

Fluted Giant-Clam

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Fluted Giant-Clam, Scaly Giant-Clam, Squamosa Giant-Clam

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Pitcairns; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; RedList, Globally and Nationally endangered

KEY FEATURES: Large, rugged shell, to 30cmL (max.40cm). VALVES similar, strongly inflated, oval; joint (=umbones) near centre; ventral opening (=byssal orifice) moderate, with 6-8 small, non-interlocking ridges; surface with 5-6 wide, convex radial-ridges with erect, long, blade-like concentric scales (=scutes). Inhalant siphon with fringing tentacles. COLOUR exterior greyish white; interior glossy white. EXPOSED MANTLE variable, brightly coloured. POSITION attached by byssus to substrate.

SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Tridacna maxima

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Tridacna squamosa Lamarck, 1819
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; MOLLUSCA; PELECYPODA (Bivalvia); LAMELLIBRANCHIA; Heterodonta; TRIDACNIDAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: RedList, Globally and Nationally endangered. Comment: On RedList as LR/cd (Lower Risk, Conservation Dependent), and Insufficiently Known. There is concern about this species although it is not listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. (RedList 2005). Comments: Cites listed

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM04b, zupM06a, zD06a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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