Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Benthic; depth range 0 - 35 m (Ref. 75831). Tropical; 23°C - 30°C (Ref. 102835); 38°N - 29°S, 92°E - 178°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Indo-Pacific: from Myanmar then east to Wallis and Futuna, north to Japan and south to western Australia. Introduced beyond Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 25 - 35 cm Max length : 137 cm SHL male/unsexed; (Ref. 99323); common length : 80.0 cm SHL male/unsexed; (Ref. 348); max. published weight: 500.0 kg (Ref. 81839)

Short description Morphology

It is white and fan-shaped with deep radiating ribs.

Known to be the largest bivalve mollusks that exist. Exploited for its meat and shell, this species has recently become nearly extinct within an important part of its range, due to over collecting. Trials of aquaculture under progress for the restocking of reefs and local farming (Ref. 348). Facultative planktotroph. It has an established symbiotic relationship with a dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) which allows them to survive. It ingests the algae at an early stage and the latter propagates in the gut (Ref. 100719).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Becomes simultaneous hermaphrodite in its later years. Spawning is seasonal, based on its northern and southern limits of distribution (Ref. 100714).

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

SAUP Database. 2006. (Ref. 356)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd); Date assessed: 01 August 1996

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial
FAO - Aquaculture: production; | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Tools

E-book | Field guide

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items

Common names
Synonyms
Predators
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance

References
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.8 - 29.3, mean 28.6 (based on 2805 cells).

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.07-0.2).

Vulnerability (Ref. 71543): Very high vulnerability (82 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Nutrients: Calcium = 149 [71, 228] mg/100g; Iron = 8.53 [1.95, 15.11] mg/100g; Protein = 9.88 [8.64, 11.12] %; Omega3 = 0.313 [0.202, 0.423] g/100g; Selenium = 61 [50, 72] μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 μg/100g; Zinc = 2.04 [0.56, 3.51] mg/100g (wet weight).

Tridacna gigas (Linnaeus, 1758)