1. MARINE BIO PROJECT BY LUCAS WILLENBROCK
CLAMS
MARINE BIO PROJECT
BY LUCAS WILLENBROCK

2. CLAM BASICS
Hard clams belong to the Phylum Mollusca which includes squid octopus and other bivalves such as oysters and Mussels
They belong to the class Bivalvia
The class has about 30,000 known species

3. Biology Clams have an open circulatory system
They have two usually equal halves of a shell made out of either calcite or araragonite
They have a heart, mouth,
anus and kidneys
They have no brain but due have a simple nervous system located in the foot

4. Habitat Clams live on the seafloor
The spend their lives in the sand or mud or attached to an object like a rock or wood pylon
They are capable or short distance movement but this typically quickly exhausts the animal.

5. DIET
Just about all clams are filter feeders

6. Predation Clams have many natural enemies
They are especially venerable to specialized predators like starfish and the oystercatcher as they are able to break open the shell and it’s powerful abductor muscles.
Humans pose a huge threat to clam populations as worldwide demand increases
They are also venerable to the red and brown tides

7. Reproduction and life cycle
They due have separate sexes but are capable of hermaphroditic reproduction
Clams if left untouched can live as longer or longer than humans
Some species can live longer than 200 years
One specimen caught of the coast of iceland was a reported 400 years old